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Elsie Marie Cerise

Longtime Yampa resident Elsie Cerise died April 18, 2006, at the Doak Walker Care Center in Steamboat Springs. She was 95.

Elsie was born on May 19, 1910, in Masonville. She was the first of four daughters born to John C. Gabriel and Margaret Repensky. Her sisters were Wilma, Elizabeth and Annabell Gabriel.

They moved to Yampa in 1918 from Loveland.



She married Robert Louis Williams in 1931. They had three sons: James Robert, John Edward and Paul Louis.

Elsie enjoyed sewing and making quilts. The greatest ones were made from men’s neckties and potholders. She also loved embroidery, which she did until last year. She made the best peanut butter pies and spent many hours doing word search puzzle books.



She was happy to see everyone and loved to have people come by. She was active in the Yampa Bible Church, Order of the Easter Star, Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary.

Elsie was a cook at the Yampa School for many years until she retired in 1979. She married Frank L. Cerise in 1961.

Elsie is preceded in death by her parents, John and Margaret Gabriel; two husbands, Robert Louis Williams and Frank L. Cerise; three sisters, Wilma Ramsey of Denver, Elizabeth Land of California and Annabell Garrett of Golden.

She is survived by three sons, James Robert Williams and his wife, Velma, of Colorado, John E. Williams and his wife, Betty, of Montana, and Paul L. Williams and his wife, Bivi, of Nevada; six grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and their families.

She will be missed by so many.


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