Mary Ellen Ward was born October 27, 1923, in Almo, Idaho.  She was the 4th daughter and 5th child of Orville Welton Ward and Nancy Lerona Durfee.  She loved Almo and enjoyed the farming/ranching life. 

    Mary Ellen was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on her 8th birthday, October 27, 1931.

    Mary Ellen graduated from Raft River High School in 1941.  In January 1945, Mary Ellen began a very short courtship with Ralph Waldo Rasmussen.  Ralph had just returned from a military assignment in India.  They married in Santa Barbara, California on February 23, 1945.  They were later sealed in the Logan LDS Temple on June 12, 1946.  Ralph’s military career kept their family moving around the country.  Each of their children were born in different states: Ralph, Jr., Brigham City, Utah; Greg,  Anchorage, Alaska; Nancy Ellen, Richmond, Virginia; Ed, Portland, Oregon; Ward, Nurnberg, Germany; and Mary Jane, Burley, Idaho.

    After Ralph retired from the military in 1961, the family moved to Burley, Idaho and purchased the house at 1510 Conant Avenue.  Mary Ellen made this house the family home.  Mary Ellen was the consummate home maker.  Her home was beautifully decorated and immaculately clean.  She loved to cook and entertain.

    Mary Ellen’s father “Gramp” had a stroke in  about 1967.  He spent the next 10 years of his life in the long term care unit of Cassia Memorial Hospital.  Mary Ellen visited him and brought him clean pajamas almost every day and often twice a day.  Mary Ellen’s mother “Nana” spent quite a bit of time living with our family. 

    In 1984, Mary Ellen and Ralph served a full time mission for the LDS Church at the Oakland Temple visitor center.  She always spoke fondly of this opportunity to serve the Lord.

    Mary Ellen died August 1, 2006, in Orem, Utah, where she was staying with Ralph & Jamie.  She was buried next to Ralph Waldo “the Colonel” in the Elba, Idaho cemetery.  Her daughter, Nancy Ellen, gave the life sketch at the funeral.  You can listen to it by clicking on the “play” button below the photo of the children at her graveside.

To see additional photographs

and information about Mary Ellen, click here.

Some of Mary Ellen’s writings:

ALMO.pdf

Home.pdf