Ellen Abata

Ellen (Santone) Abata passed away on Friday, January 12, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona, 

She was born August 4, 1917 and was the oldest daughter of the late Catherine (Grande) and Egidio Santone. 

She recently celebrated her 100^th birthday. Her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, as well as her younger sister and family, had gathered with her on several occasions throughout the year to celebrate this momentous occasion.

Ellen loved to travel, entertain, dance, and bowl. She played bridge and golfed. She also loved the world of work that began while still in school helping her late aunt, Angie (Grande) Leone, at the produce stand Angie owned at Erie’s Central Market.

Following graduation from Strong Vincent High School in 1935 and owing to her aptitude and love of business and related work, Ellen attended Erie Business College and was introduced to the comptometer, a key-driven mechanical calculator that required speed and accuracy.  As a result of her proficiency, she was offered a job in Meadville, Pennsylvania during the Great Depression when jobs were scarce and many men, never mind women, were without work.

The job offer was exciting for her, but it meant sharing a room at a boarding house with another female employee and commuting weekly to and from Meadville.  Her father had been laid off, like so many breadwinners in Erie at that time, and she knew that the patriarch of their family would not want his daughter to take such a risk.  Being Ellen, she got up her nerve, went home and announced she was going to work at Talon, a zipper maker, in Meadville. She was 18 years old.

For three years she supported her parents and siblings until her father was called back to work at General Electric prior to the start of World War II.  She remained in touch with her Meadville boss, as well as her former roommate, for many years afterward. It was an experience she never forgot.

Taking the lead in life came naturally for Ellen.  She formed social clubs with her many female friends that lasted decades.  The friends used to rent cottages at Kelso Beach during the summers.   She once even borrowed a friend’s car, and with a girl friend, drove to North East, Pennsylvania!   Many families didn’t own cars at that time, and women often did not know how to drive

On one of her visits to North East she met Joe, the handsome dark-haired man, tending bar at the St. Joseph Club.  He was immediately smitten with her and despite having no car of his own, ardently pursued her for three years as she continued her commutes between Erie and Meadville.   

After their long-distance courtship, Ellen and Joe married in 1940 and enjoyed life in Erie together for 56 years. Their lives were filled with family gatherings of every kind and occasion along with Sundays at Glenwood to hear the band concerts where her father played.  Friends were no less important.  They gathered for cards and dinner, festivities at the Erie clubs, and for dances, especially at Rainbow Gardens at Waldameer. Ellen and Joe were terrific dancers, especially when doing the Polka.  On one visit to Florida, they won a dance contest.

Ellen enjoyed the detailed work in payroll offices as a bookkeeper at Trask’s Department Store and for several years as a keypunch operator at Erie Techno.  She later joined the workforce at Pennsylvania State Department of Assistance as an intake counselor, from where she retired.

In her later years, Ellen continued to enjoy cards, most especially bridge.

Preceding her in death were her husband of 56 years, Joseph Francis Abata who died in January, 1996; her brother, Joseph Santone; a sister, Carmel “Dolly” (Santone) St. George McWilliams, her nephew Harry “Sonny” St. George, and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.  

Her sister-in-law, Virginia “Jean” (Farrell) Santone (wife of Joe) died on Jan.16, 2018.

Ellen is survived by two daughters. Karen (Abata) Schaeffer and husband, Tom, Surprise, Arizona, and Elaine (Abata) Wagner and husband, Christopher, Green Bay, Wisconsin five grandchildren, Tom Schaeffer, Jr. and wife, Dawn, Apex, North Carolina; Mark Schaeffer and Rachel Shapiro, San Francisco, California; Allison Wagner and husband, Sean Gilchrist, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Amanda Scheer and husband, Derek, Madison, Wisconsin; and Nicholas Wagner and wife, Elizabeth, Apex, North Carolina; five great grandchildren: Mason and Gabriel Schaeffer; Max, Olivia, and Weston Wagner; and three step great-grandchildren: Natalie, Madelyn, and Quinlan Scheer.  She is also survived by her sister, Kathleen “Kay” Garn Iacovetta and husband, Mike, Tucson, Arizona.; nieces and nephews: Marsha (St. George) Fronzaglia and husband, Deacon Ronald; Doreen (Santone) Kirkpatrick and husband, James “Buck”; Cathy (Santone) Corvino and husband, Randy; Judy (Santone) Husted; Joe Santone and wife, Heather; Dale Garn; Lynn Garn Taylor; Kristin Garn Strand; and many more nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to Burton Westlake Funeral Home 3801 West 26^th Street, Erie.  Hours of visitation are Friday, February 2, from 3 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, February 3^rd, 9:30 to 11 a.m.  A prayer service begins at 11 a.m. with Deacon Ronald Fronzaglia officiating. A funeral procession to Trinity Cemetery will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to either The American Red Cross, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to a charity of one’s choice.