Oltmanns, Ellen Kelly Adderley

IOWA CITY - Ellen Kelly Adderley Oltmanns, 48, of 826 Barrington Rd., Iowa City, died unexpectedly at home on Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Church of the Nazarene, 1035 Wade St., Iowa City, with Pastor Michael Lynch officiating. The family will greet friends following the service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the church fellowship center. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Mich.

Ellen was born Nov. 5, 1961, in Royal Oak, Mich., to Terence Edward and Ellin Joyce (Gaffert) Adderley. Growing up in Michigan, she attended Brookside School, and later earned her B.A. degree from Oakland University, and her M.A. degreefrom the University of Michigan.

Ellen moved to Texas for her first teaching job, and taught school at Campbellton Elementary School near San Antonio, Texas. Ellen married Billy Oltmanns on March 6, 1993, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stockdale, Texas. The family moved to Iowa City in 2000.

Ellen was a loving, warm mother who was rewarded in life by two daughters, Brittany Jane and Sara Ester, who meant the world to her. She was a treasured and beloved wife, daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and aunt.

Ellen taught preschool at the Kaleidoscope Pre-School in Iowa City. She was an exceptional, devoted teacher who gave so much to every classroom and to every child.

Dedicated teacher, protective, enthusiastic, strong, loving, compassionate. calm, sincere, a very gentle person. Sensitive, deeply respectful, appreciative of others, someone who made people feel special and important, and fun. A mother. Nurturer. Generous, kindhearted, dignified, wise.

Very sweet, generous with her love, very grounded, hard-working, unusually straightforward. A believer in the importance of play for children, genuine, humble, and bold. Ellen lived from a deep level where she respected people's intelligence and creativity, and supported this with actual projects - art projects, science, and story, and other projects she devised. She taught from the heart. She loved the kids she taught over the years, loved people, and loved her family.

Ellen is survived by her husband, Billy; her daughters, Brittany Oltmanns and Sara Oltmanns; her parents, Terence Adderley and Joyce Adderley; and sisters, Carol (Jon Cone) Adderley, Mary Adderley, Laura (Jamie) Schneider and Elizabeth (Ryan) Williams.

She was preceded in death by her older brother, Russell, and her younger brother, Ted.

Ellen loved people, loved her family and had an extreme love for all children.

How you will be missed.

Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests memorials be directed to the Make-A-Wish Foundation or to a charity of one's choice.

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