Ella Lou Gribben

Ella Lou Gribben died peacefully on March 13 surrounded by her family at Holy Cross Hospital following complications from a stroke.

Ella Lou was born in Eldon, Missouri on May 14, 1928. Her parents were the late Goldie and Horton Weeks from Stevensville, Maryland. She had two siblings, the late Mary Inman from Towson, Maryland and the late Horton “Fred” Weeks from West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Weeks family moved from Missouri to the Baltimore area where Ella Lou attended Forest Park High School. After graduation she attended Strayer College and became a secretary at Cannon Mills. Ella Lou was on several duck pin bowling leagues and enjoyed ice skating and sewing. She met her husband, Hugh John Gribben, on a blind date. At the time, Hugh, from Downey, California was in the Army and stationed at the Army Chemical Center. They were married in 1961 and located to College Park, Maryland where they helped Ella Lou’s father with his meat-packing business. Ella Lou and Hugh had two children, Hugh “Chip” John Gribben III, and Mindy Ann Gribben. When the kids were young, they moved from their apartment near the University of Maryland to the Hollywood section of College Park. While the kids were growing up, Ella Lou volunteered at Holly Park Elementary School as a substitute teacher and volunteered as a Cub Scout Den leader and Brownie leader. The Gribben family enjoyed camping and camped from Florida to Maine during summer vacations. Ella Lou also took up sewing again. She was known for her custom ironing board covers and stuffed turtles. She also made the sail for Hugh’s sailboat. After living in the College Park area for several years the family moved to Beltsville. Ella Lou applied for work at the University of Maryland in College Park where she worked in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. She was known by her coworkers as “Miss Ellie” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” She worked at the university until her retirement in the 90s.

Ella Lou had a strong Baptist faith and was active at Berwyn Baptist Church in College Park where she served as a Deaconess and was on many church committees. It was her faith that kept her going through a stroke in her early 40s and two open heart surgeries to repair a heart valve which was damaged by rheumatic fever. Despite her medical challenges, she kept going and was constantly on the move. After her retirement from the university she became involved in local Beltsville community groups such as Young at Heart and the Beltsville Public Library. She also enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and attending their various activities and helping out if they needed to be picked up from school.

Ella Lou is survived by her husband, Hugh Gribben of Beltsville, Maryland; son Chip Gribben and his wife Monica Gribben of Laurel, Maryland; daughter Mindy Gribben and her husband Rick Miller of Catonsville, Maryland; Grandchildren, Jenny Gribben and Jake Gribben of Laurel, Maryland; and Meredth Miller, Adam Miller and Abigail Miller of Catonsville, Maryland. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.