Eleanor Ruth Weltmer Ross

02/12/1927 - 03/11/2015

Eleanor Ross of Redding passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord on March 11, 2015, with family by her side. She was born on February 12, 1927 in Los

Angeles, CA, the fourth of five children of Estella (Bland) and Wood Weltmer. Eleanor attended Glendale High School where she graduated in 1945. She then attended Glendale Business College.

Eleanor married Donald Robert Ross in 1946 and the couple had four children; Stephen Earl, Mary Catherine (Catherine Burns) of Redding, Gregory Dennis, and Judith Ann Kroll of Madison , New Jersey. She was pre-deceased by her sons Stephen and Gregory. In addition to her two daughters, she is survived by two grandchildren, Lesley Kroll of Catonsville, MD and Adam Ross of Lufkin, TX.

Eleanor worked in multiple secretarial jobs in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area for many years, including work for several legal firms and defense contractors. In 1967 she moved to Sacramento where she went to work in the Legal Affairs department of the Governor's Office, working first under Ronald Reagan, then subsequently under Governors Jerry Brown and George Deukmejian. In her role at the Governor's office she provided administrative support for legal proceedings of the administration, including extraditions, pardons, and other state legal actions. She retired in January 1991.

Ellie raised her three surviving children as a single mother, sometimes taking on additional work as a waitress to make ends meet. Throughout her adult life, she was an avid gardener, growing camellias, gardenias and a spectacular rose garden at her Sacramento home. She was also an accomplished seamstress and quilter. She made many beautiful items for her children and grandchildren. She also developed a love for antiques, buying and restoring many quality 19th century American pieces. Ellie was an excellent cook and hostess; her home was always open to family and friends and was the preferred gathering place for family get-togethers.

Ellie moved to Redding, CA in 1997 where she oversaw the building of her retirement home and then the design of her new backyard garden. She joined the First Presbyterian Church of Redding and established the "Prayer Shawl" ministry, recruiting 6-8 knitters who together distributed over 55 shawls over the last ten years. She was also a part of the Outreach Commission and devoted one Sunday per month to playing the piano for a monthly worship session at Sierra Oaks Assisted Living. Ellie was an accomplished pianist and could easily transpose a hymn into a lower key to make it easier to sing.

Ellie enjoyed traveling and over the years visited Hawaii, Hong Kong and the UK, as well as many US cities including Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Boston. She was also fond of camping and fishing, enjoying many "road trips" with her older brother Don and his wife Vi. The three were very compatible travelers.

In the last seven to eight years, Ellie was a surrogate mother to many nieces and nephews, as she was the last surviving member of her nuclear family. She also was virtually a "team mother" to the Country Gold Dancers, a dance team of which her daughter Cathie is a member.

Ellie was a lady of true elegance and class....She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.