Funeral services for Ella Frey, 84 of Mobridge will be at 10 AM, Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Zion Lutheran Church in Mobridge. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will start at 3 PM, Friday with a Prayer service at 7 PM at the funeral home. Mrs. Frey passed away May 5, 2013 in Sun City West, Arizona.

Ella Irene Frey
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant"
If they gave out prizes for moms, she would have received the gold metal. If you ever needed a friend, there was no one better.

Ella Irene Frey, 84 of Mobridge, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2013 in Sun City West, Arizona where Ella and Norman would spend their winters together.

The Life of Ella Irene Frey
Ella was born on December 21, 1928, the third of eight children to John and Rose (Lein) Rabenberg, in Glenham, South Dakota. Ella was raised in rural Glenham, South Dakota. After spending her elementary school years in the local one room school house, Ella's life changed when she attended Northwestern Lutheran Academy in Mobridge for high school. After high school Ella attended Black Hills Teacher's College for the summer. She taught at the Amundsen School for one year, then taught for Zion Lutheran School in Akaska for one year and the following year taught at the Rabenberg School for one year.

On September 12, 1948 she married Norman Frey, who was her high school sweetheart. After they were married they lived in a tiny home on the same farm as Ella's parents. Four children later and after two additions/remodeling of the house, the Frey family moved into a bigger home near Mobridge, SD. In 1967 one more son was born.

Over the years, children and grandchildren added a whole new dimension to family gatherings, and soon great grandchildren were added to the mix.
Ella and Norman traveled extensively to visit family and friends. She kept a detailed calendar of birthdays and anniversaries and never missed sending cards out to everyone on these special occasions.

As devout Lutherans, members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Ella and Norman dedicated much of their life to helping the WELS Synod grow and flourish.
Ella was involved in Ladies Aide, Lutheran Woman's Missionary Society, Zion Choir, Ladies Aid, and assisting Norman in Builders for Christ. She was also involved in serving her community by volunteering for Gray Ladies, and Hospital Auxiliary and Retired Teachers Association.

With a total of 32 offspring, including children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Ella worked tirelessly to keep the family close. She and Norman attended every possible wedding, graduation, and celebration, making their family their top priority.

It is our wish to have you help us in celebrating Ella's life, who with her heart of gold touched the lives hundreds of people she came into contact with.

Today she is singing with the angels on high. But here on earth, she will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, Norman R. Frey; their children, Virginia (Ronald) Glock, Roger (Sheila) Frey, Thomas (Deb) Frey, Timothy (Barbara) Frey and Andrew (Luna) Frey; fourteen grandchildren, Jennifer, Michael, Philip, Abigail, Brent, Jeff, Greg, Darby, Shandra, Kyler, Hannah, Naomi, Makaia and Magnus; thirteen great-grandchildren; two brothers, John and Ted Rabenberg; and four sisters, Dorothy Becker, Laila Arndt, Barbara Giese, and Marie Tucker.

Ella is preceded in death by her loving parents and one brother Donald Rabenberg.