Family and friends of the late Ellen (Stever) DelBaggio gathered for an hour yesterday to plant 1,000 daffodil bulbs in her memory at the Bud Shuster Intermodal Transportation Center.
Ellen’s mother, Mary Ellen Jones, noted that daffodils were her daughter’s favorite flower and they are also the American Cancer Society’s symbol of Hope. Ellen was 44 when she died in February of this year after a nine-year struggle with cancer.
Ellen’s dear friend since nursing school days, Judy Ward of Hollidaysburg, wanted to do something in her memory to honor her and came up with the idea of planting daffodils.
Family and friends adopted the idea, purchased the bulbs and while working in the dirt and planting bulbs, shared memories of just how much Ellen had brightened all their lives. Come springtime, their hearts will be a bit brighter when they see the miracle of life as the flowers burst through the frozen ground and their beauty shines through for folks to enjoy.
Pictured clockwise from front are Kyley Rutherford, Judy Ward, Bill Ward, Leah Delbaggio, Ian Reese, Amy Stever, Marie Turiano and Revel Kemp. Alice Mulhollan and Judy Duey were instrumental in preparing the area for planting.
Ellen is survived by her husband, Benny DelBaggio; two sons, Aaron and Ian Reese; her mother, Mary Ellen Jones; and her father, Doctor Richard Stever.
