Ella M. Adams, 103, passed away peacefully in her sleep Friday, March 26, 2010, at an Atascadero care center which she had very recently entered. The first photo shows Ella (3) on the right, with brother, August and sister, Mary Wolf. The caption for the second photo reads "Still going strong after 100 years, grocery shopping on her 103rd birthday!" Until that time she proudly lived on her own at Quail Run in Paso Robles. She was widely known as the "History Lady of San Miguel" because of her vast knowledge and sharing of local history. She was born in July 1906 in Sonoma County in northern California and came to the farming area of Vineyard Canyon north east of San Miguel the age of three with her parents, August and Mary Wolf. Her paternal grandparents had immigrated from Germany to settle in the Union district in 1886. She rode in a horse drawn cart along with her brother, August Wolf, and sister, Mary Wolf Kalar, to attend the one room Vineyard school - she graduated at age 12. Ella married Frank Adams at the San Miguel Mission in 1926, and they raised wheat and Hereford cattle on their place in Vineyard Canyon and the Cross Country Rd area. Widowed at age 64, Ella continued to manage the ranch until she sold it and moved to Paso Robles at age 88. In her later years, she traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, South America and Mexico. She was honored to be the Paso Robles Pioneer Day Queen in 1978 and in a later year was San Miguel Sage Brush Days Queen. Her greatest joy was to be surrounded by her family. Ella is survived by her son, Donald E. Adams (Mary) of Charleston Ore.; daughter, Maggie Rice Vandergon of Atascadero; grandchildren, Greg (Libby) Claassen of Coalinga, Calif., Douglas Rice of Atascadero, Patrick Adams of Paso Robles, Mathew Adams of Las Vegas, Nev., John Adams (Laura) of Florida, Mark Adams of Washington, Cindy Adams (Bill) Murdock of Ventura, Calif., and Suzanne Adams Garcia (David) of Atascadero; great-grandchildren Ryan Claassen, Colton Rice, Sara Murdock, David Adams and Alisha Adams; great-great grandson, Axa; and numerous dearly loved nieces, nephews and cousins in the surrounding area. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at the San Miguel Mission, followed by interment at the San Miguel District Cemetery. Lunch will be served at Mission Pizza in San Miguel. In memoriam, donations may be made to the San Miguel Mission Restoration Fund. Kuehl-Nicolay Funerals 238-4383 Paso Robles

Published in San Luis Obispo Tribune on March 30, 2010