Ella Belle (Flake) Watts, 93, died Tuesday, July 25, 2017 surrounded by loved ones.
Born June 11, 1924 in Iola, Kansas, her family moved to Colorado Springs in 1929. Ella Belle attended schools locally and graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1942.
She was married to Clarence Watts on May 1, 1944 and they were able to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary before Clarence died.
Ella Belle was a school bus driver for School District 11 for over 30 years. She was active in her church and served in many capacities over the years.
Her biggest love and pleasure in life were her husband and the family they created. She loved every opportunity to be with her family. They were snow birds in South Texas for over 30 years and thoroughly enjoyed their retirement.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a sister, Dorothy Jean Lind; and two brothers: Charles Flake (died in WWII during the Bataan Death March) and Chester Flake. She is survived by a daughter, Nancy Cooper (Ed) of Stella, North Carolina; a son, Charles “Charlie” Watts (Karen) of Colorado Springs; one sister Ivah Grace Biddle; her grandchildren: Wayne (Kimmie) Curtis, Kevin Curtis, Jeff (Cathy) Watts, Nalisa (Chris) Pouliot, Tricia (Toby) Burley, Molly (Craig) Klenovich, Tyler (Heather) Watts, Rhonda (Chris) Hayes, Michael (Gillian) Watts, Michelle Watts and Taylor Rowe; her great-grandchildren: Amanda, Randy, Erica, Kylie, Morgan, Cody, Travis, Lauren, Adam, Tyler, Cheyenne, Zach, Sara, Nathan, Alexis, Jackson, Parker, Brecken, and her namesake Ella; and two great-great-grandchildren: Jillynn and Paityn.
Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 PM on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, at the Shrine of Remembrance Funeral Home, 1730 East Fountain Boulevard. The funeral service will be Thursday, August 3, 2017, at 10:00 AM at Calvary United Methodist Church, 4210 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, 80918. Burial will take place at Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 1:30 PM that day.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Calvary United Methodist Church.