Frances Ramsdell was born on April 28, 1934, to Frank and Mable Thaler and grew up on a farm in Wagner, South Dakota, along with two brothers and two sisters. She met Lowell Ramsdell in South Dakota and they were married in March of 1953. They resided in Winlock, Washington, until Lowell’s death in May 2022. After Lowell passed, she stayed with her daughter in Olympia until she passed in her sleep on Dec. 27.
Both Lowell and Frances enjoyed farming, which included assisting in the management of the Ramsdell Egg Farm; she worked at the Albers Feed Store in Winlock and Napavine Feed for over 30 years. On the farm, she raised cattle for beef and veal and springers for local dairy farms, and she had a large garden. fiShe loved family fishing trips, an occasional camping trip to the beach where they often dug clams, local League Bowling, and being active in the Winlock St. Paul Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her two sisters, Elaine Stone and Jean Heida; and her children, Roger Ramsdell (Barbara), Pam (John) Nistler and Susan Lander (John). She also has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
We will all miss her very much.
Frances will have a graveside service at the Winlock Cemetery at 11 a.m. Jan. 13 followed by a celebration of life service at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church starting at noon with a luncheon to follow. We would ask that anyone who wishes to make donations for Frances would make them to St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winlock.
