Ella Marie “Ellamae” Snow McDaniel passed away peacefully on May 4th in Elk Grove, California at the age of 102.
Ellamae was born in Marshfield, Oregon (later renamed Coos Bay) on February 21, 1918, notably starting her life during the Spanish Flu epidemic and coincidently ending during the current Covid-19 pandemic.  
Daughter of Alfred B. Snow and Anna M. Mortensen, Ellamae was the youngest of the five Snow children and survived her brother Archie, and sisters Margaret Daniels, Bernice Morga and Gladys Jordan.   Her husband of 54 years, Gordon B. McDaniel passed away in April 1995.  Ellamae is survived by her three children, Howard of San Diego, Deanna of Prescott Valley, Arizona, Don (Ralph) and daughter-in-law Julie Scheff of Sacramento, nephews Dennis Morga of Yorba Linda, California, Tom Morga of Burbank, California, Bud Daniels of Arlington, Washington, Dave Jordan of Brinnon, Washington, and niece Donna Todd of Anacortes, Washington.  
A long-time resident of Santa Clara where she and Gordon raised their family, Ellamae was a devoted and attentive mother and active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Santa Clara.  She was involved in civic organizations such as hosting Boy and Girl Scout gatherings, scheduling speakers for local PTA meetings, volunteering with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and was a member of the California Federation of Republican Women.  
During Ellamae’s 102 years of life, she lived through the hardships of a single parent household after her father died of tuberculosis when she was 4 years old and made sacrifices during the Great Depression and World War II.   She enjoyed walking and swimming until her health no longer allowed it.  Ellamae remained engaged by enjoying a good book, being a competitive board game player, watching 60 Minutes every Sunday and loved a good cop show such as NCIS Los Angeles.
Ellamae delighted those around her with her sense of humor, smile, and the twinkle in her blue eyes.  She attributed her longevity to being “101%” Norwegian, drinking coffee with every meal and eating chocolate often, but in moderation.    
A Memorial will be planned for a time when relatives and friends feel safe travelling.

I have deleated the Dropbox link to the video of my Mom having fun blowing out her candles at her 101st birthday in 2019.   I will try later to post an edited version of the video that is shorter that this website will be able to support.
Thanks and blessings to all who visit this memorial to my dear mother.