Catherine “Catie” Eller, age 100 of Redwood Falls, was called home to live with her Heavenly Father on Sunday, March 3, 2019 in Memory Care at Garnette Gardens in Redwood Falls.  A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 29 at the Redwood Valley Funeral Home.  Visitation will be 1:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.  A private family burial will be held at a later date.  Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Catherine “Catie” Eller was born September 15, 1918 in Vail Township, Redwood County, Minnesota to Frank and Adelaide (Brown) Hertling.  Catie had twelve siblings; five sisters and seven brothers.  She attended school at Guthrie, Minnesota.  On February 20, 1960, Catie married the love of her life, Leonard Eller.  Together they lived many places throughout the state and also the country, including Fairfax, Paynesville, Brainerd, Alaska, Wyoming, and South Dakota.  Catie worked various jobs including a café, running a laundromat, babysitting and housekeeping for different people.  Upon her return to the Fairfax area, Catie was a member of St. Cornelia’s Episcopal Church on the Lower Sioux Reservation.  She was a woman who worked hard and wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.  Catie was a cook, gardener, and fisherwoman.  She loved to fish and hunt.  She especially loved to fish on the Minnesota River and lakes around Fairfax with Leonard.  With nimble fingers and without fear, Catie could affix leeches, minnows, and night crawlers to a hook quickly.  She could catch, clean and butcher a variety of animals including fish, squirrels, rabbit and deer.  She wasn’t afraid to fish after dark, sometimes by herself, until after midnight or longer.  She could make a large meal out of seemingly nothing, and always made sure her children were fed.  She will be greatly missed.

Catherine is survived by her husband, Leonard of Redwood Falls; children: Richard (Marge) Schmidt of Fairfax, Neil (Bev) Schmidt of New Ulm, LaVonn Miller of Hector, Ron Schmidt of Santa Fe, NM; 9 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; 9 great-great-grandchildren; 4 sisters-in-law; 1 brother-in-law; and many nieces, nephews and friends.  She is preceded in death by her parents, parents-in-law Max & Cornelia Eller, 7 brothers, 5 sisters, and many other relatives.  Blessed be her memory.