Ella "Chris" Long

Ella Christena Baetz Long was born February 2, 1929, in Smith County, Kansas, to Grace and George Baetz. Everyone called her Chris. Chris was raised on a dry land farm with gardens, orchards, bee hives, draft horses, milk cows, pigs, chickens, plus a wood/corncob cookstove, with no running water or indoor plumbing. She remembered traveling by wagon a few miles north of their farm to see the great Republican River flood of 1935.   She attended a one-room school and then graduated from Franklin High School.

She married Omer “Buck” Long in 1948. Although they lived in town the rest of their lives, first in Franklin and then in Red Cloud, the skills learned during her childhood on the farm served Chris well. She was a consummate cook and a passionate gardener. After decades of bumper-crop vegetable harvests, as her vegetable plots grew smaller her flower beds and year-round greenhouse crops expanded. She spent many happy Wednesdays with her quilting circle friends, and made sure each of her children and grandkids had at least one of her quilts. She also loved to go fishing and camping with family and friends. More often than not she caught as many or more fish than anyone else. She enjoyed the Long family tradition of jovial teasing and boasting about all sorts of fishing tall tales. She and her husband Buck ran the State Farm Insurance office in Red Cloud from 1959 until his retirement in 1985.

Most of all, Chris was a tender, devoted mother, both to her children and grandchildren. Since the grandkids lived nearby, they and she were blessed to be able to spend countless hours together. This time spent with them was the highlight of her life. Chris died on November 16, 2020.

Preceding her in death were her husband Buck in 1999, brothers Herald, Gerald and Irl; sisters Ruth Frase and Florence Rust; and son-in-law Ron Rasser.

Surviving are Chris and Buck’s children Cheryl Long; Jo Bass; Lizabeth Rasser and her sons Cal, his wife Stacey and their children Ellarae and Emmalane, and Brooks and Angela Flategraff and his children Quinton, Caden, and Avery; and Patrick Long, his wife Teresa and their children Morgan, Dalton, and Riley.

Private family interment services at the Red Cloud Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed to the Alzheimer's Association.

Williams Funeral Home
241 West 4th Avenue
Red Cloud, Nebraska  68970

Phone:   402-746-2500
Email:   williamsfuneralhomes@yahoo.com

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