Ella F. Cunningham, 91

by Daily Inter Lake
| January 28, 2008 1:00 AM

Ella F. Cunningham, 91, passed on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008 at Brendan House in Kalispell.

Ella was born Aug. 14, 1916, in Ekalaka to Ed and Nellie (Ripley) Robinson. She was raised in Ekalaka, where she attended school, graduating from Ekalaka High School.

Ella married Charles P. Cunningham on Oct. 28, 1946, in Great Falls. Charles passed away Dec. 14, 1977.

Ella was in the restaurant business for her entire adult life. She owned and operated the Bears Cafe and the Temple Dining Room, which was in the old Elks building. After retiring, she did home health care for the elderly, and sometimes took care of people much younger than herself.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Charles; daughter, Virginia Stammel; stepdaughters, Eula Lovic of Mill Iron, Charlotte Pelham of Tampa, Fla., Gladys Miller of Great Falls, and Bonnie Wolverton.

She is survived by her children, Beverly Cuvillier of Trout Creek; Charles Cunningham Jr., Art Cunningham and Ron Cunningham, all of Kalispell; stepdaughters, Bertha Davidson of Great Falls, Mary Cunningham of Navarre, Ohio, and Caroline Bevans of St. Regis; siblings, Clare Watson of Twin Falls, Idaho, Eva Vantella of Spokane, Chester 'Bud' Robinson of Ione, Wash., and Mary Bourn of Oroville, Wash.; numerous grandchildren; great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Ella's life will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Interment will be after the service at Glacier Memorial Gardens.

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.