Obit: Mortensen, Elaine Alva (1919 - 2017)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Carlson, Czachowski, Dahl, Follien, Henderson, Janisewski, Mortensen, Olson, Peterson, Pretz, Schneider, Simenson

----Source: The Plombon Funeral Home (Stanley, WI) 9/20/2017

Mortensen, Elaine Alva (Dahl) (4 MAR 1919 - 18 SEP 2017)

Elaine Alva (Dahl) Mortensen, 98, passed away on September 18, 2017 at Heritage Manor in Elroy, Wisconsin.

Elaine was born March 4, 1919, fifth in a family of eight children, to Norman and Ida (Peterson) Dahl in Stanley, Wisconsin. She married Willard Charles Mortensen on October 7, 1950 at Grace Lutheran Chapel in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She lived most of her life in Stanley, in Eau Claire during World War II, and the last six years in Elroy.

She grew up on a farm, was raised with a strong work ethic, and taught her children to have great respect and gratitude for farmers. In the 1930s and after WWII, she worked at the luggage factory in Stanley. During the war, she was employed at the Presto munitions plant in Eau Claire and lived with her sister Nora’s family. She was patriotic and dedicated to her work. Her experience of being paid less money based on her gender, not on her good performance, made her a strong supporter of equal pay for equal work.

Elaine had a strong faith and was a lifelong member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. She was a faithful member of the church quilting group and made many quilts at church and at home for Lutheran World Relief. Her favorite book was the Bible and she was a “prayer warrior.” Elaine was a thoughtful and kind person, a loving and supportive wife, a wonderful mother, and an empathetic listener to all. She was a great homemaker/baker, always making bread, as well as
Norwegian favorites like flatbread, lefse, fattigmann, and krumkake. She was a strong model for water and energy conservation and the importance of being a good steward in her household and in the world. She could be counted on to cry at sad movies. She was intelligent and loved to read. She did not graduate from high school due to eye problems, but she was self-educated, always curious about the world, and willing to consider other points of view.

Elaine and Willard (Bill) had a strong and loving partnership. They enjoyed gardening, spending time with their family, going places together, and, in later years, tying quilts, making lefse and flatbread, and visiting with their grandchildren. Their favorite trip was traveling to Norway, Denmark, England and Germany in 1974 with Bill’s sister Marie and brother-in-law George. Elaine was so pleased to meet her Odden relatives in Norway who lived on the ancestral Folldal farm.

Elaine was preceded in death by her husband Bill in 1994, and by her four sisters, Nora Olson, Vi Carlson, Evie Follien and Mil Simenson, and two brothers Larry and Robert.

Elaine is survived by her three daughters and her son-in-law: Roxanne Janisewski of East Troy, Debbie and Bill Henderson of Kendall, Denise Schneider of Madison; grandchildren Joel
Janisewski and Jean Pretz, Jason Janisewski, Amanda Henderson and Andy Czachowski, Adam Schneider, Lucas Schneider; and great-grandchildren Miriam, Ruth, Eleyna, Izaac, and Grayson.

A memorial service will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Stanley on Monday, September 25 at 11:00 a.m., preceded by a visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m.