Nell Worthington, 98, of Waukesha, Wis., and formerly of Tomah died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, at the Mission Creek Assisted Living Center in Waukesha.
She was born Wednesday, July 24, 1918, to Marlow and Olena (Stenerson) Walker near Ontario. It was well known that Nell’s Mother, Olena, would not live long, so the parents asked her father’s sister if she could take baby Nell and raise her along with their own family. So it was that Margaret “Maggie” and Fred Downing kept her, and she became Nell Downing.
With the death of her new parents (Fred died in 1930 and Maggie in 1934), she stayed with her friends Ana and Pete Karl until she finished her sophomore year of high school, and shortly thereafter was sent to live with her original birth sisters in Milwaukee. She attended Solomon Junior High School, and it was at this time that her name was returned to Walker. What a change — she lost her family and her name. However, she graduated in 1936.
In 1937, Nell started working in the Long Distance Office of Wisconsin Telephone Co. and remained there until 1942. By 1939, she married Russ Defenbaugh, and had her son Douglas in 1942. They spent the years of 1944 and 1945 along the Panama Canal. Then Nell and Doug returned to Milwaukee and went to work at Wisconsin Telephone Company. She and Russ were divorced soon afterward.
She and her son, Doug, moved to Portland, Ore., where they remained for five years. While there, she met an old friend from Ontario, Rex Worthington, and they were married in 1953 and went to Anchorage, Alaska, where Rex was employed. They were there about 2 ½ years, and both worked, but finally Rex wanted to move back to Wisconsin. They started building a house immediately and settled near Tomah, where they spent 40 wonderful years! Nell felt settled and joined several clubs, including Business and Professional Women, a bowling team, church choir, United Methodist Women, and the ladies’ circle at church, all of which she took an active part in. Nell was also a strong supporter of the Area Community Theatre (ACT). In addition to her volunteer work in the box office, she was a Gold Star financial donor. In between her everyday activities, she still found time for her love of traveling. Shortly after Rex’s death in 1993, she moved into Tomah.
She is survived by a son, Douglas (Celeste) Defenbaugh of Wales; a grandson, Troy (Renee) Defenbaugh; her twin granddaughters, Kimberly (Tai) Iese and Nicole Defenbaugh; a great-grandson, Lucas Defenbaugh; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Rex, and two brothers and four sisters.
A funeral service will be at 12 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, at the First United Methodist Church, 1105 Butts Ave., Tomah. Pastor Rey Diaz will officiate. Burial will be in Billings Creek Cemetery in the town of Forest.
Relatives and friends are invited to call at the church on Friday from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.
The Sonnenburg Family Funeral Home is assisting with the arrangements. Online condolences may be given at www.sonnenburgfamilyfh.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable donation to either the Area Community Theatre (ACT) or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (a 501c(3) fund).
