Obituary: Ellen Jane (Watters) Agle

Please join us in a celebration of Ellen’s life on May 14, 2O22 at the Farwell Chapel of StephensonWyman Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 10:00 with a service following at 12:00. A luncheon will occur after the service at the Farwell Church of Christ located at 700 E Michigan Street in Farwell. Arrangements were handled by the Farwell Chapel of Stephenson-Wyman Funeral Home.
Ellen Jane (Watters) Agle Ellen was born in a cabin on Hasty Ridge in the Ozark Hills of Newton County, Arkansas on January 18, 1933 and entered eternal heavenly rest from home on November 27, 2021, in Farwell, Michigan. At the age of 7 her parents moved the family to Michigan. Her father, John Blaine Watters worked in the Temple oil fields while her mother, Eunice Watters taught family lessons of hard work and a frugal life style as they emerged from the Great Depression era. Her family eventually moved to a farm where their strong work ethic was necessary. Ellen attended a one room school in Temple, then continued in Marion and graduated high school in Harrison. She began Nurses training while still in high school during summer months and continued training in that field after graduation. She worked at hospitals in Alma, Reed City, and Clare. During employment at Clare Hospital she met her future husband, Gary Agle while caring for his grandmother. They married in 1953, created two sons Dallas and Kevin, and began her career as a homemaker. Ellen always had “side jobs” including school bus driver, township treasurer for several years, and office manager for a dental office in Farwell. One of her passions was taking road trips, the destination was not that important. She traveled most of the United States including, Alaska several times, by vehicle usually with her sons and later on with grandchildren. Ellen was a devout Christian attending the Gilmore and Farwell Churches of Christ where she played the organ and piano during worship services. A spin off from her religious teachings was her creation of a Puppetry team, the Sonbeam Puppeteers, who performed regularly at every opportunity she could arrange including out of state engagements. Children too numerous to count were her puppeteers, the group remains active. She used her musical talents to play for the residents of North Woods Nursing Center for 16 years, stopping only because of the pandemic. Her music partner, Matt Lucas, was making plans to resume their gift of music at the time of her passing. Ellen was concerned for the safety of students walking between school and the athletic complex, she was instrumental in organizing funding resources to construct a sidewalk aptly named Ellen’s Way. She attempted to shun the recognition but there is a large stone by a sitting bench with a plaque engraved Ellen’s Way near the sidewalk at the athletic complex. Another source of joy, with the assistance of the Ladies Fellowship group at church, was to deliver cookies and other treats to the students of the alternative school Timberland in Farwell. A testament of their appreciation were numerous cards sent by the students just prior to her death. Her illness was abrupt, untreatable, and not survivable. She dealt with the diagnosis and prognosis as few can do, disappointed but gracefully accepting that her life was coming to an end. She dearly loved her family.
     Ellen is survived by her sons Dallas and Kevin (Libby) Agle who cared for her to the end; grandchildren Stephanie (Jared) Sansom, Matthew (Tina) Agle, Kristen (Louis) Corriero, Nathan (Cathy) Agle, Shauna (Keith) Meister, and Cory Knowlton, along with 9 great grandchildren. Her younger brother George (Jean) Watters survives her as well as the precious nieces. Her husband, Gary Agle, predeceased her as well as another brother Argus Watters.