Ellen Corrinne Courtney, age 82, of Lynden, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, surrounded by her loving family, just eight weeks after her husband, Foster.
Ellen was born in Silvana, Washington, to Peter and Bertha (Kraetz) Strotz on April 15, 1936. In 1938, the Strotz family moved to Whatcom County and began dairy farming on the Kelly Road. Ellen attended Harmony School and graduated from Mount Baker High School.
Ellen married the love of her life, Foster, on Nov. 6, 1959, and they were together for over 59 years. They raised four children: John, Jill, Julie and James. Family was very important to Ellen and she enjoyed spending as much time as possible with her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and all her extended family.
Ellen and Foster owned, managed and worked the family Here-ford cattle farm, where Ellen spent countless hours in the seat of one of their Allis-Chalmers tractors in the hay fields. She loved all her animals: cows, horses, cats, dogs and birds. She named every cow in the family herd.
Ellen loved gardening, especially her large assortment of flowers and in particular her roses. Ellen also loved to knit and made an afghan for every member of the family and many friends. Ellen and Foster enjoyed traveling; after retirement; they traveled to 43 different states and 10 countries.
Ellen was a Camp Fire leader and the 4-H leader of Country Cousins 4-H club for more than three decades. She was a Boy Scouts leader, volunteered her time at the Whatcom County Youth Fair for 30 years and the Northwest Washington Fair, and was an active member of the Lynden VFW Auxiliary Post 9301 where she held numerous positions during her tenure. She was a member of a bowling league for 25 years, the Lynden Senior Center, the Red Hat Society, the Be Of Service club, the Puget Sound Antique Tractor and Machinery Association and the Prairie Gold Antique Tractor Association. Ellen was the definition of “Soccer Mom” before the term became popular, without ever owning a minivan.
Ellen is survived by her children: John (Karen) Courtney of Lynden, Jill (Mike) Boykin of Everson, Julie (Randy) Waite of Anchorage and James (Lisa) Courtney of Lynden; nine grandchildren: Teresa (Mike) Stacey, Johnny (Amanda) Courtney, Jordan (Sarah) Waite, Heather Waite, Jeffery Boykin, Paige Courtney, Foster Courtney, McKenna Brock and Peyton Brock; four great-grandchildren: Hannah McSwain, Braxton, Addison and Beckett Stacey.
Join us for a memorial service at Gillies Funeral Home in Lynden on Friday, March 8, beginning with a viewing at noon and a service at 1 p.m., followed by a graveside service at Greenwood Cemetery and a Celebration of Life at the Lynden VFW Post on Hannegan Road.
The Courtney family extends a huge thank-you to the staff at the Christian Health Care Center. In honor of Ellen’s courageous battle with glioblastoma brain cancer, memorials/donations can be made to the American Cancer Society for cancer research.
