Obituary of Ethel May Ward

Ethel May Ward, 99, died Friday, May 10, 2013 after a briefillness. She was born on December 4,1913 in Aurora, Kansas to parents John and Estella Snell;and grew up with siblings Lyle and Mildred Kinkiad, and Morris, Albert, Levi,Robert, George, Edith and Addie Snell. Ethel was preceded in death by both parents and all her siblings. Ethel married James Erickson and moved to Prescott in 1949. They owned and operated an appliance storeand she worked as a seamstress in a T-shirt factory and then the hospital. James died in 1976 after a long illness. Ethel moved to Camp Verde in 1976 and latermet and married Paul R. McCoy, who died in 1981 after a brief illness. Ethel then met Thomas E. Ward and they were married inMarch, 1993. They lived in Camp Verdeand Cottonwood and then moved to Kentuckybefore they moved back to Camp Verde. Thomas passed away in July, 2012. Ethel enjoyed playing music, gardening, sewing, arts andcrafts, bingo and playing cards. Sheespecially loved making Kachina Dolls, and later greeting cards that she madewith flowers she collected and pressed herself. She stayed active and was fiercely independent. She loved attending andbeing active in the Methodist Church. She is survived by one sister-in-law, Adaline Snell of Salina,KS; and niece Myrna (Bill) Uhraine of Camp Verde and sons Mike Chapman andJason Suitor; niece Glenda (Loyd) Wells of Cottonwood and son Nathan; nieceSharon Snell of Highpoint, NC and children Clinton and Jessica; niece Dorothy(Marlin) Janzen of Albuquerque, NM and daughter Janet; niece Arline Johnston of Excelsior Springs, MO; niece Linda (Don)Woodward of Mayfield, KY; and niece Lori Snell of Lancaster, CA. Although Ethel never had any children, she isalso survived by her stepson Kevin (Cheryl) Steward of Prescott, and son Shawn;stepdaughter Susan Byrd of Cottonwood, and step grandchildren Richard Ward ofCottonwood, Angela Barrett of Phoenix, andDebbie Veramontez of Phoenix. Services will be held at the CampVerde CommunityChurch (Methodist Church)480 First Street Camp Verde, AZ on Saturday May 18 at 1pm.