Obituaries

Noretta Helena Stephan passed away peacefully on October 28, 2026 at the age of 91.

Noretta was born May 24, 1935. Noretta was predeceased by her children Marlene Lindsay and Robert Ell; her brothers Gordon, Mervin and Kenneth. She is survived by her loving husband Arthur Stephan; her daughters Kathleen Friesen and Carol Ell (Michael Dagnone); her son Raymond Ell (Gaylene); her sisters Linda Sinclair and Shirley Scherle; her sister-in-law Joyce Sauer; 10 grandchildren; over a dozen great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was born on her maternal grandfather’s farm near the hamlet of Frankslake, Saskatchewan to John and Louise Sauer. Soon after her birth her parents along with several other families homesteaded near Mistatim, Saskatchewan. During that time Noretta and her brother Mervin lived with their Aunt Adeline and Uncle Martin Agopsowicz who owned the hotel in the town site. There was an encephalitis epidemic that year that took the lives of seven people in the area including her months old brother Gordon.

In 1938 her sister Shirley was born. In the spring of 1942 Noretta and Mervin reunited with their parents living on her Grandmother Miller’s farm near Balgonie, Saskatchewan. In 1944 her brother Kenneth was born. They moved to Regina on her 12th birthday in 1947 where later that year her sister Linda was born. At 15 Noretta left the family home working and living in Regina for a while before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia for about a year. At 18 she moved to Calgary, Alberta where she lived with her Aunt Bertha. While in Calgary she met Daniel Ell whom she married on December 23, 1953.

Daughter Kathleen was born in Calgary in 1955. They then moved to Vernon, British Columbia where daughters Marlene and Carol were born in 1956 and 1958. They relocated to Armstrong, British Columbia where her two sons were born, Robert in 1959 and Raymond in 1960. The family remained in Armstrong before moving to Calgary in 1962. After a brief stay they moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta and then back to Regina in 1965. In 1966 they moved to Calgary where in 1967 she was divorced.

In 1974 she returned to Regina where in 1980 she married the love of her life, Arthur Stephan. They built a life together on Montreal Street, traveling, bowling in the 5 Pin Association (where she achieved the level of Teacher Master Bowler), doing crafts and attending many sales. After retiring from the Leader Post at 65 she was a regular at the Senior’s Centre, active in the Lutheran Church and rediscovered her talents as an artist taking several art classes. Many of her drawings and paintings were displayed at facilities around the City of Regina. Noretta also spent years doing genealogical research locating and documenting her family’s history, leaving volumes of historical data as a legacy.

In 2024, Noretta moved to Elmview Special Care Home until her passing. Our family extends sincere gratitude to the staff for their care.

In lieu of a funeral service the family will be holding a Celebration of Life in the spring or early summer of 2027.