Ethel was born and raised in Lafayette, CO. She graduated from Lafayette High School in 1935 and went to work for Dr. Porter cleaning his office until about 1937, at which point she got a job working at the mill. Ethel started working for Jenny Noble’s restaurant in 1941 and then at the grocery store for Lee Baker for a couple years before moving on to work for Dr. Gordon in 1950 and stayed there for 29 years. She married Frank Rodrigues, who was a coal miner.