Elsie M. Weld

Elsie Marguerite Weld, 99, of Salem OR passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 12, 2016. She was born on September 28, 1917 in Kenyon, Minnesota to Merrill B. And Nellie Waage Anderson. She had two older brothers, Marson & Delbert and two sisters, Hazel & Berniece. Her family moved to Iowa when she was young where they lived on a farm and she attended country school. Her father was a cabinet maker & church builder. She remembered her mother having a garden and cooking for the men that worked the farm. Elsie was a young teenager during the Great Depression, but her family did not suffer too greatly since they grew their own food - though she remembered a shortage of sugar! She was raised and confirmed Lutheran, learning from a young age to trust God to provide and lead her through life.
After graduating from Belmond High School in 1935, Elsie obtained her teaching certificate and enjoyed teaching all grades in a country school nearby. She met Vernon Weld, of Goldfield, Iowa during high school and they were married at her parents' home in Belmond on September 22, 1937. Elsie began attending church with her new husband at Goldfield First Baptist, where she chose to be baptized. She was delighted when her sister, Hazel, married Vernon's brother, Merle. Vernon and Elsie had two sons, Roger and Ron, prior to him being drafted near the end of WWII. Upon Vernon's return from the war, they moved to Colorado for a short time. After vacationing in Oregon with Elsie's sister and brother-in-law (Berniece & Stan Sampson), they fell in love with the Pacific Coast & moved to Astoria, Oregon in the fall of 1951. Their youngest, Verdeen, was born nine months later and they always said it was the weather!
Elsie and Vernon attended Holmes Baptist Church, near Goldfield, IA, which is where she chose to be baptized. Elsie missed her "Sisters Club" and would write letters to be opened when they met, often taking the train back to Iowa for visits. When Verdeen entered school, Elsie began working as a nurse's assistant at Columbia Hospital, where she worked for the next 15 years. Vernon & Elsie lived in Astoria for 21 years & were involved with the First Baptist Church making lifelong friendships with a number of couples.
Elsie & Vernon frequently hosted friends and family for dinners, and Elsie often baked bread or prepared meals to take to friends or fellow church members in need. They especially loved visitors from the Midwest, showing them the beautiful scenery & historical sites in Oregon. Visiting their children and grandchildren in the Willamette Valley created the desire to move closer, so when a job transfer became available, they moved to Lebanon, Oregon in 1972. They loved the nicer weather and being close to all the fruit and vegetables. They joined a new church family at Lebanon's First Baptist, where they formed many dear friendships and enjoyed serving for the next 20 years!
Vernon and Elsie had long enjoyed RV-ing and wintering in Arizona, so that is how they chose to spend their retirement years. They ventured to Alaska and back and forth to the East coast several times over the next 15 years, making sure they attended special events of their grandchildren and seeing many sites throughout the USA. They loved travelling so much that they eventually sold their home in Lebanon and travelled full-time for 5 years, before buying a home in Keizer in 1996.
Once settled there, they became members of Salem First Baptist and enjoyed the love shown by neighbors, family and friends with faithful visits. Those visits were especially meaningful to Elsie after Vernon's passing. She lived on her own for three years before moving into the Avamere Retirement Community in Keizer and eventually to Bonaventure Assisted Living in Salem, Oregon. She made many new friends in both of these communities, being actively involved in each. She attended morning exercise class and Sunday worship faithfully and played Mexican Train Dominoes nearly every day. She also knitted dozens of hats that were given to babies & people in need.
Elsie forever mourned the loss of her son, Ron, in 1998 and then, in 2004, her husband of 67 years, Vernon. Surviving are her eldest son, Roger (wife, Bev) of Olympia, WA & daughter, Verdeen (husband, Bill Jackson) of Pasadena, CA. Blessed with 10 Grandchildren, Tami Idsinga, Debi Sattler, Vicki Weld, Tim Weld, Pam Wagner, David Weld, Lisa Hemperley, Trudi Guana, Chet Jenkins & Tera Springman, 33 Great Grandchildren & 16 Great-Great Grandchildren - for all of these dear ones, her one prayer was that they know the love of Jesus and live for him.
A Celebration of Elsie's Life Service will be held Saturday, January 21, 11 AM at Bethany Baptist Church, 1150 Hilfiker Lane SE, Salem, OR 97302.
Private Interment will be held at Willamette National Cemetery where she will be next to Vernon.
For memories, photos and online condolences please visit Elsie's Memorial website at restlawnfh.com
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