Nila Carol Fagerquist Ellertson

June 28, 1941 – February 16, 2022

Nila Carol Fagerquist Ellertson, 80, passed away Feb. 22, 2022, at her home in Queen Valley, Ariz. Her husband, Phil, and sister, Lois, were blessed to be with her when she died. A Celebration of Life with family and friends is being planned for Saturday, March 26, at 2 p.m. at the Recreation Hall in Queen Valley, Ariz. Knowing how much it meant to her to give back to the community, the family requests that memorials be made to Queen Valley Fire Auxiliary, Queen Valley, Ariz., or the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Ariz.
Nila was born in Scott City, Kansas, and raised on a farm near Dighton, Kansas, by her parents, Carl and Maude Fagerquist. She was the oldest of their three children.
She graduated in the class of 1959 from Lane County Community High School and then earned her LPN License from Dodge City Community College.
One of her first jobs out of nursing school took her to California, where she worked at Anaheim Children’s Hospital. It was during that time she met Phillip Ellertson, who was five years out of the Navy. They fell in love and married Aug. 12, 1965, in Dighton, Kansas.
Nila and Phil lived in Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota for 25 years. She was employed at St. Johns Nursing Home, Albert Lea, Minn., for 15 years. In 1989, they moved to Apache Junction, Ariz., and then Queen Valley, Ariz., in 2000.
Nila became a beloved member of the community and was involved in several volunteer organizations and fund-raising projects. She loved animals, horseback riding, gardening, and all things in nature. She was the ultimate desert tour guide and loved to share her knowledge of desert life with friends on hikes, campouts, and jeep trips.
She is survived by her husband, Phillip Ellertson, Queen Valley, Ariz.; sister, Lois Fagerquist, Black Forest, Colo.; and her devoted chihuahua, “Lil Lady.” She will be forever missed by a close-knit group of friends who supported her through her 11-year battle with cancer and heart disease. She was a member of an elite group of survivors that referred to themselves as the “Little Toughies.”
She is pre-deceased by her parents, Carl and Maude Fagerquist; her brother, Gerald (Jerry) Fagerquist; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Lake Mills Graphic

204 N. Mill Street
Lake Mills, IA 50450

Office Number: (641) 592-4222
Fax Number: (641) 592-6397

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