Elin “Ella” Waddell
FRANKLIN FURNACE-Elín “Ella” (Jónsdóttir) Waddell, 99, beloved mother and “Amma” (grandmother), passed peacefully from this life on December 6, 2024, in Portsmouth, Ohio, surrounded by family. Born in the serene and remote south-central regions of Iceland on April 20, 1925, she was the daughter of Þorsteinn Jón Jónsson and Þórunn Karítas Ingimundardóttir.
Ella’s early life in Reykjavík, Iceland, included education at a private Catholic school where she learned to speak three additional languages, training as a competitive swimmer, and soaking in her homeland’s breathtaking beauty.
As a young woman during World War II, Ella immigrated to the United States with her three-year-old son, Arthur, after the death of his American soldier father, Arthur Clarence Waddell Sr., on the battlefields in Luxembourg in 1944. She arrived aboard the SS “True Knot” at Ellis Island in the winter of 1947. Settling in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, she joined her son’s extensive Waddell family and later married Alfred Vernon Waddell. Together, they raised eight children, weaving a blended family defined by resilience and love.
Mrs. Waddell was preceded in death by her parents, Jón Ólafsson and Þórunn Karítas Ingimundardóttir; her siblings, Karítas “Kalla” Jónsdóttir and Þorsteinn Jón Jónsson; and several half-siblings. She was also predeceased by her beloved husband, Alfred Vernon Waddell, in 1975, and two of her children, Mike Waddell and Sylvia Darst, as well as two grandchildren, Chris Sainopolus and Andrea Blake.
Ella leaves behind her children: Arthur Waddell Sr. of Franklin Furnace, Oh, Maryann Sainopulos (Wayne Thompson) of Lucasville, OH, Jon Waddell of Franklin Furnace, OH, Bob Waddell (Jen) of Minford, OH, Tina Thomas of Manassas, VA, and Vernon Waddell (Lajonna) of San Antonio, TX. Her legacy extends to 18 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Ella was a Christian who trusted in Jesus Christ as her Saviour. She enjoyed swimming, music, sketching, cross-stitching, and reading extensively in both English and Icelandic. She was an affectionate and devoted Amma. She was witty and proud of her family’s successes.
Ella’s life was marked by change, endurance, personal loss, and renewal. Yet through it all, she carried herself with a quiet dignity and a profound sense of connection to her Icelandic roots.
A private family service will be held in her honor at Harrison-Pyles Funeral Home, and a burial will be held at Junior Furnace Cemetery in Franklin Furnace, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Portsmouth, Ohio.
And as our dear Amma would say, “Guð blessi þig og þína” (God bless you and yours!)
Condolences may be made at www.harrison-pyles.com.
