Ella Irene (Johnson) (Benson) Groth, age 106, of Sun City, AZ, formerly of Dassel, died Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Arizona.
She was born Feb. 8, 1904, to Swedish immigrants who homesteaded a farm outside of Watkins, and attended high school and normal school in Litchfield.
Ella taught in country schools until she married Bill “Bangs” Benson, a barber in Dassel. He was a great hunter and fisherman until his early death at the age of 41.
After Bill’s death, Ella married Ed Groth. Ed worked in Cleveland, OH, and the family moved there, where Ella worked at Halle Brothers Department Store for several years.
When Ed retired, he and Ella moved to Outing, MN and had a happy life of hunting, fishing, and living in the north woods until Ed’s death in 1973.
Ella then lived with her daughter, Shirley Clopton, in Woodbury. For many years, Ella, Shirley, and Shirley’s husband, Bob, were snow birds to Sun City, AZ. After Bob’s death in 1997, Ella and Shirley became full-time Sun City residents.
Ella lived in a care center the last two years of her life. She remained in good health, and slept away into the arms of her Savior at the age of 106 years.
Services have been held.