Ella Dee Kessel Caperton (1943"2000) was a First Lady of West Virginia and Miss West Virginia. She was the ex-wife of former West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton, and the daughter of former Jackson County Circuit Court Judge and West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Oliver Kessel.
A Ripley, West Virginia native, she held a degree in music from West Virginia University, a master's degree in education from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She was Miss West Virginia 1964 and the second runner up in the Miss America pageant. She married Caperton in 1965. Two sons were born of the marriage, W.G. (Gat) Caperton, and John Kessel Caperton.