Grace Evelyn Ellrod

Memorial Services for Grace E. Ellrod will be conducted from the United Methodist Church in Alma, Nebraska on Friday, May 31, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. with Reverend Jim Bendorf officiating. Private family inurnment will be held prior to the memorial services in the Alma Cemetery.

Grace Evelyn (Graf) Mennenga-Ellrod, 91 years of age, of San Diego, California (formerly of Alma) was called home to her Lord on February 12, 2013 at the Breeze Hill Care in Vista, California. The day before Grace passed away, she said she needed to pack because she was "Going Home."


She was born October 6, 1921 on the family farm near Naponee, Nebraska, sixth of eleven children of Ernest and Ida Mae (Watson) Graf. Grace received her primary education from the Naponee Public School and then graduated from Alma High School with the class of 1939. On June 6, 1939, Grace was united in marriage to Russell Lee Ellrod at Phillipsburg, Kansas and to this union four children were born: Richard Dale, Myrna Lee, Phyllis Ann and Carolyn Grace. The family made their home on farms in Almena, Kansas and Republican City, Nebraska, until they purchased their own farm near Beaver City, Nebraska in 1952. In October of 1987, after 35 years of farming, the couple retired and made their home in Alma, Nebraska. The couple spent their winters in the warmth of Texas's lower Rio Grande Valley and Yuma, Arizona and in September of 1996, the couple permanently moved to Yuma.

They were members of the United Methodist Church in Alma and later became members of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Yuma. Grace and Russell loved to go dancing and in their retirement, went dancing three nights a week. On November 20, 1997, Grace was preceded in death by Russell.

On May 25, 1999, Grace was united in marriage to Hy Mennenga in Laughlin, Nevada. They spent their summers in Wisconsin at Hy's lakeside cabin. Hy passed away on January 1, 2003. In 2007, Grace moved to San Diego, California to be closer to her daughter, Phyllis.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Russell; second husband, Hy Mennenga; son, Richard Dale on October 22, 2008; son-in-law, Bob Buvel; great-granddaughter, Melody Lee Choitz; great great-grandson, Zane Alexander Choitz; six brothers and three sisters.

Grace leaves to mourn her passing; her daughters: Myrna Choitz and her husband, Ernie of Marble Falls, TX, Phyllis Buvel of Oceanside, CA, and Carolyn Larson and her husband, Lanny of Scottsbluff, NE; daughter-in-law, Lillian Ellrod of Oklahoma City, OK; sister, Ruby Lammers and her husband, Mel of Sun City, AZ; three sisters-in-law; 8 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 6 great great-granchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.


There will be no visitation, the family has honored Grace's wish for cremation.

A memorial has been established in Grace's memory and is kindly suggested to the United Methodist Church in Alma.

Expressions of caring and kindness may be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com.

The Bauer–Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements.