Ellen (Paine) ELKIN

ELKIN, PAINE, SANTEE, JOENKS, KENNEDY, THOMAS, VAN LANGEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/29/2006 at 10:21:47

Ellen Claire Elkin, 89, of Eagle Grove, died Tuesday, September 7, 2004 at the USA Health Care Center in Clarion. Funeral services were held Friday, September 10, at the United Church of Christ in Eagle Grove. Rev. Lisa Hadler officiated at the 10 a.m. service. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery, Eagle Grove.

Ellen Claire Paine was born October 27, 1914, in Eagle Grove, the daughter of Raymond Sumner and Mabel Kennedy Paine. She was baptized and joined the Goldfield Presbyterian Church. She grew up on Sunnybrook Farm in the Evergreen Community and attended Elmwood School. Ellen graduated from the Eagle Grove High School in 1932 and then went on to Eagle Grove Junior College and graduated in 1934. She started teaching in the rural school of Elmwood that fall and later went on to teach in Erie, Illinois. In May of 1940, Ellen married Grigg Elkin and to that union four children were born: Mary Claire, Ronald Dean, Colleen Ellen and David Grigg. The couple became active members of the United Church of Christ and had all four children baptized there and witnessed their joining of the faith. Ellen resumed her college education in 1969, receiving her degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 1971 at the age of 56. She taught most of this time and completed thirty-two years of service in the Goldfield and Clarion communities, before retiring in 1980. Ellen belonged to many clubs and participated in all of them. She was a member of the former Woman's Club for over 30 years, as well as the Equality Club, Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority, American Association of University Women, UCC Guild, Oakridge Country Club and many others.

Ellen is survived by her husband, Grigg Elkin of Eagle Grove; two daughters, Mary "Cookie" Thomas of Clarion and Colleen Van Langen and husband, Randy of Grand Island, Nebraska; two sons, Ron Elkin and wife, DewAnn of Tulsa, Oklahoma and David Elkin and wife, Colleen of Ingleside, Illinois; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Pauline Paine, Leone Santee and a half-sister, Marilyn Joenks; and two brothers, Donald and Lynn Paine.

September 16, 2004
© Wright County Monitor 2004