Ethel Margaret (Bartholomew) Coulter, of Clinton, Missouri, was born July 25, 1919 near Chilhowee in Johnson County, Missouri, to parents Ralston "Ross" and Rosa (Akers) Bartholomew. She died Sunday, November 6, 2011 at Truman Lake Manor in Lowry City, Missouri at the age of 92. Graveside services will be 2:00 P.M., Thursday, November 10, 2011 at Carpenter Cemetery, Chilhowee, Missouri. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 P.M. Wednesday November 9, 2011 at Vansant-Mills Chapel, Clinton, Missouri. Family suggests memorial contributions to the Chilhowee Methodist Church and may be left in care of the funeral home. Fond memories can be left online at www.vansant-millsfuneralhome.com.

During her youth, the Bartholomew family moved to a farm near Leeton, Missouri. Ethel was a graduate of Leeton High School earning her school letter by walking 100 miles. She lived with her parents until her marriage to Floyd Elwood Coulter of Chilhowee on April 25, 1940. The couple lived on their farm near Chilhowee until they sold the home place in 1975 and moved to Clinton, Missouri.

In 1950 Ethel began working as a seamstress at the Dunhill Shirt Company in Holden, Missouri, sewing pockets onto men's shirts. In 1962 she continued her career as a seamstress at Unitog in Warrensburg, Missouri, and transferred to the Unitog factory in Clinton after their move and retired from Unitog in 1984.

Ethel was a kind and shy person with loving heart and spirit. She loved doing handwork and liked to stay busy. She enjoyed crocheting, embroidery, sewing, word and jigsaw puzzles, reading and traveling. Ethel enjoyed making chocolate covered cherries for the holidays to give to family and friends.

Due to declining health, Ethel moved to Olympia, Washington in 1996 to live with her daughter, Marylin Kay Grunig and husband Ronald. While living in Olympia she was active in craft groups making items for the United Methodist Women's yearly bazaar and a sewing group that made banners for the church sanctuary.

After dealing with severe compression fractures in her back since 1997 due to osteoporosis, Ethel expressed a desire to move back to Missouri in 2007. She first resided at Glendale Gardens and moved to Jefferson Gardens in 2011. Due to declining health she moved to Truman Lake Manor in September of 2011.

Ethel was a member of the Chilhowee Methodist Church and attended United Methodist Churches in Clinton, Missouri and Olympia, Washington.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Floyd on February 27, 1993; son, William Robert in November, 1946; two sisters, Alice Preston and Edith Stone; two brothers, John and George Bartholomew.

Ethel is survived by one daughter, Marylin Kay Grunig and her husband Ronald of Clinton, Missouri; three granddaughters, Joanna Fesler and husband George of Brier, Washington, Amy Decker and husband Paul of Indian Trail, North Carolina, and Jennifer Cruz and husband Emmanual of Richlands, North Carolina; six great grandchildren, Rachel Fesler, James Decker, Michael Decker, John Cruz, Emily Cruz,and Evelyn Cruz; one sister, Lorene Miller of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri.