Ellen Frances Richardson Schoettger of Excelsior Springs, Missouri passed away peacefully on February 11, 2026, at Lawson Manor in Lawson Missouri. She was born on December 16, 1949, to James William (Bill) Richardson and Frances Elaine (Elaine) Williams Richardson in Kirksville, Missouri, where her father studied music education at Truman State University. The family moved to Concordia, Missouri when her father started teaching music, and then to Excelsior Springs, Missouri after her father finished graduate school.
Ellen loved all kinds of artistic and creative activities from a young age. She was active in Girl Scouts where her mom was a scout leader and especially loved riding horses at camp. Ellen also enjoyed music and played the flute in the band, as well as singing in the United Methodist Youth Choir, with her dad, the choir director. She graduated from
Excelsior Springs High School and went on to study art at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.
Ellen fulfilled her passion for the arts in the field of photography. She was extremely talented in the pre-digital photography age, retouching photos, restoring photos, and creating oil painted photo portraits. She really hit her creative stride when she became a full-time portrait photographer. Ellen was a special genius at taking photos of babies and young children.
Ellen married her husband of 32 years, David Scott Schoettger on August 16, 1980, in Columbia, Missouri, where they lived for several years before moving to the Excelsior Springs area in 1982. They had three beautiful children, Megan Elizabeth, Kathleen Rebecca and Aaron Christopher Schoettger. David was an avid outdoorsman. Ellen and David enjoyed escaping with the family, boating at the Lake of the Ozarks, summer stays at the Schoettger lake house, camping, and photographing nature on their trips.
When they moved to Excelsior Springs, Ellen opened Heirloom Photography, where she continued portrait photography, weddings, and photographing all kinds of community events. Ellen enjoyed participating in hometown community groups and the First United Methodist Church activities, especially the choir.
In the summer of 2000, David’s work took them to Columbia, Missouri where they found their home in Millersburg, Missouri. Ellen began working for Lifetouch Studios and quickly began to rise in the ranks and began work as the manager and head photographer in Columbia, Missouri. In the family’s free time they met many wonderful friends, that remain to this day. In 2005, the family moved to Wood Heights, Missouri where Ellen continued to work for Lifetouch Studios in Independence, Missouri.
David’s work then took them to the Gig Harbor, Washington, moving the whole family from Wood Heights, Missouri to the Pacific Northwest in 2007. Ellen continued her work in photography, and the family was able to explore the amazing mountains, ocean, and rain forests. Ellen was always drawn back to her hometown, where they returned in
2011. After returning Ellen opened the Artisan Gallery in Excelsior Spring’s historic downtown, featuring an art gallery and her photo studio. Her daughter Megan joined her as a graphic designer. The two of them loved the fun of hosting art openings, especially with live music.
Ellen is survived by her daughter, Megan Elizabeth Schoettger of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; son, Aaron Christopher Schoettger of Puyallup, Washington and his wife Ally Maree Schoettger, and their children, Theodore, Evie, and Phillip Schoettger; son-in-law, Paul Russell (Russell) Lupien of Tacoma, Washinton; sister, Rebecca Jane Richardson and her husband, Michael Lehman Froehlich of Kansas City, Missouri; brother, Christopher James Richardson of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; mother-in-law, Lorraine Schoettger, of Sedona, Arizona; sister-in-law, Lisa M. Schoettger-Price and her husband, C.B. Price of Sedona, Arizona, their children, Ian Price of Kansas City, Missouri, Alisha Price of Chicago, Illinois, and Christian Price, of Sedona, Arizona.
She was preceded in death by husband, David Scott Schoettger of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; daughter, Kathleen Rebecca Schoettger-Lupien of Gig Harbor, Washington; her father and mother, James William Richardson and Frances Elaine Williams Richardson of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; her brother, Robin William Richardson of Excelsior Springs, Missouri; her infant sister, Sara Jo Richardson of Concordia, Missouri; and her father-in-law, Dr. Richard Aaron Schoettger of Columbia, Missouri.
A celebration of life service will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Excelsior Springs, 1650 Rainbow Blvd., Excelsior Springs, Missouri on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall of the church. The family wishes to thank the kind caregivers at Lawson Manor and Ascend Hospice. The family suggests donations to the Good Samaritan Center Food Pantry of Excelsior Springs, where Ellen used to volunteer, or the Community Impact Fund of the Nelson Atkins Museum, which provides community art engagement.
Arrangements are in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Excelsior Springs.
