Ella Chenyeng Yang

In honor of the life she lived, please wear your favorite shade of blue. A traditional Hmong funeral to be held at Legacy Funeral Home, 3720 East River Road, Fridley, MN 55421 on 11/21/26 and 11/22/26. The program of the funeral:

Day #1 - Visitation on Saturday, November 21, from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm with a special Celebration of Life program from 4-6 pm followed by dinner.

Day #2 - Final funeral rites will occur on Sunday, November 22, from 8:00 am -12:30 pm with departure to burial site at 12:30 pm.

Burial to follow at 1:00 pm at Sunset Memorial Park, 2250 St. Anthony Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55418.

Ella Chenyeng Yang was called home peacefully on September 18, 2026, at the age of 18. From the moment she arrived on May 2, 2008, in Fridley, Minnesota, Ella brought color, mischief, and endless love into every room she entered. Born to Vong Yang and Chengny Thao, she and her family made their way to Overland Park, Kansas in 2014, the place where so much of her life would unfold. There, she was surrounded by family, friends, and a beloved menagerie of animals, all of whom loved her deeply and were loved by her in return.

Ella graduated from Blue Valley Southwest High School and went on to Johnson County Community College, but her truest gift was the way she carried her warmth with her into every relationship she built. She was known for her wildly creative, wonderfully eccentric artwork, her tender love for cats and dogs, and, most of all, for her big heart. Alongside her partner-in-crime cousins, Ariel Xiong and Athena Yang, she built a world of dance parties, epic games of house, and memories that could fill a hundred sketchbooks. Ella was equally close with her dear friends Ava and Josh, whose friendship became its own kind of family, filled with laughter, loyalty, and countless shared memories that meant the world to her. She also had a wide and devoted circle of friends and colleagues, who will forever hold her memory close.

What people remember most about Ella is the way she saw them. She looked past labels, appearances, and first impressions and met each person exactly as they were, with curiosity instead of judgment. The quiet kid in the corner, the stranger who didn’t quite fit in, the friend having their hardest day: Ella made room for all of them. She never asked anyone to be more, less, or different to earn her kindness. With her, people felt seen, accepted, and free to simply be themselves, and that may be the greatest gift she left behind.

Few things mattered more to Ella than her grandparents and her kitties, and she loved them all fiercely. With her grandparents she was tender and devoted, soaking up their stories, their cooking, and their quiet wisdom, and making sure they always knew how cherished they were. At home, Simba and Nala were her constant companions: curled up beside her while she drew, following her from room to room, and greeted every day with kisses. Ella’s love was never halfway, and the ones who held her heart closest never had to wonder where they stood.

Art lived in Ella from the very beginning. As a little girl she was already sketching, painting, and dreaming in color, and that never stopped. Flowers, dragons, anime, graffiti — her imagination poured onto every page and every surface she could find, everywhere she went, even during her time as a pharmacy technician at Auburn Pharmacy. Tucked between the drawings were her own words: gentle, honest poetry and reflections on the life she was living so fully. Ella left no space untouched and no moment unfelt.

And live she did. Ella turned the whole world into her playground, twirling through Japan in a kimono, sipping tea like royalty in England, devouring pizza in Italy, tutoring students in Thailand, savoring croissants in France, and shopping her way through Singapore. Every stamp in her passport was proof of her fearless, insatiable curiosity — and her belief that the world was too big and too wonderful not to explore.

Ella leaves behind a trail of art, adventure, and love, carried forward by her parents, Vong and Chengny; older sister, Belle; brother-in-law, Camryn; nephew, Callan; brother, Alex; and her two faithful kitties, Simba and Nala, who will keep her spirit of mischief and love alive at home.

She is lovingly remembered by her grandparents, DjouaPao & By Yang and Nhia Dao & Nou Thao; her aunts and uncles, Bao & Xa Vue; Bate & May Kao Manisone; True Vang & Neeg Zoo Yang; Yi Yang; Marie & Martin Ceballos; Sheena & Fue Xiong; Paul Thao & Kenneth Smith; MeLee & Chang Yang; and Chue & Bruce Yang; and her many cousins, Peter; Chris; Lilian & Chin Cheng; Stephanie & Hector; Jonathan; Tristan; Felicitee; Kalvin; Tracy; Dahlia & Tyler; Xeng; Tristan; Camden; John; Jake & Pa Chia; Asayaria; Jared; Joshua; Jordan; Jasmine; Justin; Tawpa; Douache; Luna; Sunny; Apollo; Athena; Paris; Melena; Karina; Mateo; Tomas; Ariel; Andrew; and Alana.