Ellen Rae Sielaff Appel's Obituary
Ellen Rae Sielaff Appel passed away July 25 in Fort Myers, Florida where she had resided since 2004. Ellen is survived by her son, Scott Appel (Indianapolis), her daughter, Kimberly Appel (Atlanta), and her brother, Ralph Sielaff (Roanoke, Indiana). Ellen was born in Oak Park, IL on March 21, 1940. As a young woman she was a national champion majorette and model, and funded her own undergraduate and graduate education by coaching aspiring majorettes. She graduated from Butler University in 1962 where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Ellen taught English at Decatur Central High School for 3 years, and then earned her Master of Science in Communications at Purdue University in 1967. Ellen continued to mentor and teach students at Lebanon High School in English and Public Speaking until starting her family with her former husband Kenneth Appel (Indianapolis) in 1971. Ellen’s interest and support for higher education was also exemplified by her service as a member of the Butler University Board of Trustees for two terms. Ellen was a charismatic, funny, artistic and caring woman whose love for nature and the beach brought her to Southwest Florida in 2004 after years of vacationing on Sanibel Island. A memorial service will be held on the beach adjacent to Chapel by the Sea on Captiva Island, Florida on Sunday July 29 at 1:45 pm, and Ellen will be buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Fort Myers, Florida. A second reception will be held to honor Ellen from 2:30-6:00 pm on Wednesday August 1st with the celebration of life service beginning at 3:00 pm. This memorial service and reception will be held at 6736 Dover Road in Indianapolis, Indiana 46220. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555.?á Online condolences may be made at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.?ú?é¼?é¼
What’s your fondest memory of Ellen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ellen?
Share a story where Ellen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ellen you’ll never forget.
How did Ellen make you smile?