Ellie L. Mersereau

Ellie Louise Peters Birdsall Mersereau, 93, of Mason City passed away on Monday, September 16, 2019 at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 4th Street SE, with Pastor Sid Bohls officiating. Inurnment will be at Elmwood – St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Music Man Square.

Ellie was born on July 11, 1926 in Mason City to parents Otto and Emma Peters. She graduated from Mason City High School in the Class of 1944. After high school she spent 5 years working at the Westfall, Laird, Burington Law firm as secretary to Maury Laird.

Ellie met Bob Birdsall in 1946 at the Bayside skating rink in Clear Lake and they were married in 1947. After Bob completed dairy school at ISU he joined the family business managing Birdsall’s Ice Cream. Ellie actively supported the business by always being ready to help out on hot days when the store was packed with customers. They raised three children, Ann, Tom, and Sue before Bob died of cancer in 1969.

Ellie married Harold Mersereau, a travel agent, in 1976 after they met dancing at the ValAir Ballroom in Des Moines. They spent many happy years traveling the world, wintering in Hawaii and Naples, and enjoying the summers in Clear Lake. Harold died in 2013.
Ellie loved spending time with her grandchildren and always made sure the cookie jar was filled with her famous chocolate chip cookies. She enjoyed golf and playing bridge. She was a member of PEO and served one term on the Mason City School Board. She was a lifelong member of St. James Lutheran Church.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Ann Beasley (Byron), Tom Birdsall (Julie), and Susan Orton (Paul). Her grandchildren include Christen Beasley Oskouian (Rod), Rob Beasley (Salma), Abby Beasley (Raki), Paul Birdsall (Emily), Megan Birdsall, Sam Orton, Haley Orton, and Jessie Orton.

She was preceded in death by husbands, Bob Birdsall and Harold Mersereau; parents Otto and Emma Peters; and brothers Carl Peters and Max Peters.