Ella Mae Laude

  Ella Mae Laude  

  of Hallstead, PA  

 Ella Mae Atkins Laude, 83, of Susquehanna and more recently Hallstead, PA passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Born February 18, 1940 in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, Ella Mae shared stories of working in the cotton and tobacco fields as a teenager, and life of the 1950s. She met and married Gerard Laude of Queens (Middle Village), NY, who was stationed in NC at Fort Bragg, on October 1, 1955. Not wanting to raise their family in the city, Gerard and Ella relocated to upstate NY and eventually purchased a home just outside Susquehanna, PA, in the country to raise their family.  Despite the distance, Ella Mae kept close ties with her family and many trips between Susquehanna and West End, NC occurred over the years. Long before the days of the interstate, she packed up a station wagon and her children and drove south to visit family. 

 Ella was a homemaker for much of her life as she had six children. Always sewing clothing, making quilts, crocheting or tatting lace, she used those talents as a seamstress at Matis Lingerie in Susquehanna. She enjoyed classic country music all her life and was active in the Red Hat Society. Upon her retirement, Ella and Gerard became snowbirds in the winter and traveled in their RV throughout the USA. Visiting the National Parks had been a long standing travel plan in the Laude family and continues through the generations today. Ella said her favorite park was Arches in Utah, and she hiked to see Delicate Arch (the arch depicted on Utah’s license plate). She especially enjoyed the beach and spent her last few months enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sea at Myrtle Beach with family. 

 Over the decades the family grew in size to include spouses, then grandchildren, a great grandchild, and eventually great-great grandchildren. Ella could never tell everyone enough about her family and received so many positive comments when she talked about her extended family. In her final hospitalization, the nurses spoke of the love and respect they witnessed as we said our goodbyes. 

 Ella Mae is survived by Cathleen (David) Kunkler and granddaughter Elizabeth. Madeleine (Brian) Brooks and grandson Aaron. Caroline (Terry) Roseburgh and granddaughters Julia and Erica and great-granddaughter Kamila.   Mary Grace (Bill) Iveson and granddaughters Victoria, Amanda and Alexandra. Karl (Sandy) Laude and grandchildren Corey, Nick, Clarissa and her namesake Ella Rose. Grandson Daniel (Emily) Laude and great-granddaughters Abigail, Trista, and Callie (Marc) Stanton and great-great granddaughters Everleigh and Ryleigh. 

 Ella Mae is predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Gerard, her son Gerard II, brothers RJ, JC, and CA and sister Francis. 

 A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. John’s Catholic Church in Susquehanna, PA on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 10 am. 

 The Family will receive friends at Hennessey’s Funeral Home, 747 Jackson Ave, Susquehanna, PA on Monday, April 24 , 2023 from 4:00 pm to 7 pm. 

 Ella was very active in St. John’s parish over the years, chairing funeral dinners, presiding over the Catholic Daughters, and Altar and Rosary Society. She also selected a family each year and provided gifts, food, toys, etc to an individual or family in need. The entire Laude family participated in this annual giving. She was very generous with her time and talents. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to the Weinberg Food Bank that distributes to charitable organizations feeding the needy throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. These include food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, group homes for the disabled, day care centers, children's camps and senior citizens programs. 

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