Beasley – Ella Agnes Beasley of Millicent, passed away in Brooks on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at the age of 90 years. Ella was born on April 27, 1928, in Yugoslavia, to John and Gizella Bogi and came to Canada in 1938 with her family. They moved to the One Tree area after a brief stay in Lethbridge to get settled into Canada. At the age of 18, December 16, 1946 Ella married Lee Beasley, son of Sarah and Carl Jones (Pete) Beasley of Patricia. Her parents gave her a dowry, consisting of six pregnant cows and that was the beginning of Beasley Ranching. Ella and Lee lived on a farm about six miles southwest of Patricia. Lee also had 250 head of sheep that his father had given him, so they added the cattle and later raised Appaloosa horses. Ella and Lee were blessed with six children, Carl, Gordon, Bill, Annie, Chuck and Bruce. She cooked for hired men and was a 4H Leader of the renewed Patricia Clothing Club from 1963 to about 1969. She was also a member of the Thursday Club of Millicent for many years and was an active volunteer within her community to provide food for weddings, anniversaries and brandings. She also loved preparing and cooking prairie oysters and competed in a few chili cook-offs within the Brooks and Bassano communities. Ella was always busy. She raised chickens, pheasants, pigeons, ducks, geese, turkeys and later Cairn, Scottie and West Highland terriers. In 1970, she and her husband Lee and 4 of their children formed Beasley Ranching Company when they purchased the former Sandgathe Ranch near Wardlow. Ella spent most of her summers on this ranch gardening and cooking. At the age of 76, in 2004, she moved to Millicent, where she had purchased a place southeast of Millicent. She always had a large garden on the farms. She was predeceased by her husband Lee, grandson Tanner, son Chuck, brother Mike, and aunt Elizabeth “Cozy”, father John, and mother Gizella. She is survived by, sons Carl (Louise) Beasley of Patricia, Gordon (Sandy) Beasley of Canmore, Alberta and Bill Beasley of Millicent, daughter Annie (Dennis) Madden of Chetwynd, B.C. and son Bruce (Dulcie) Beasley of Youngstown, Alberta; 18 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; sister, Ann Beasley of One Tree area and numerous relatives in Canada, and Europe. Ella was well loved in her many roles as daughter, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother and friend and will be missed by all. A very big thanks to the caregivers who made Ella’s last couple years at home possible. We are all truly blessed to have been a part of her life. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 22 at 2:00 PM from the Duchess Community Hall. Rev. John Theiss officiating. Interment at Duchess Cemetery. In memory of Ella, if friends desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Brooks and District Health Foundation for Kidney Dialysis Machine, Bag 300, Brooks, Alberta T1R 1B3.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to:
SMITH FUNERAL HOME LTD. AND CREMATORIUM
BROOKS, ALBERTA
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