Elsie Mae Van Wert

GARNER - Elsie Mae Van Wert, 95, of Garner died Tuesday (March 16, 2010) at Concord Care Center in Garner.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Monday, March 22nd at the United Methodist Church in Garner with Revs. Tim Rieckhoff-Faris and Gary Van Wert officiating. Burial will be in the Hampton Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 P.M., Sunday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel in Garner.

Elsie Mae Van Wert was born October 27, 1914, in Franklin County, Iowa, the fourth child of George Everett and Mabel (Hansell) Van Wert. She grew up on the family farm northeast of Hampton, attended country school and graduated from Hansell Consolidated School. She attended Iowa State University and became a teacher, and taught for many years in country schools in the north central Iowa area. She returned to Iowa State and earned her degree in home economics, and became the Iowa State University Community Extension Home Economist for Hancock and Winnebago Counties. She retired from her work in October of 1979. Elsie Mae was involved in 4-H as a young woman and held leadership positions in the 4-H Club all her life. In 2003, at the age of 89, she was inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame at the Iowa State Fair. Elsie Mae loved her work, her family and traveling. She traveled all over the United States and visited several other countries during her lifetime. She took an interest in the young people of her community, her church and her friends. She was a delightful friendly person who had a broad world-view, and she will be missed by the many people who knew her.
She was a member of the Garner United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Quilters, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority sixty year member, P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter FN Garner, Garner Wa-Tan-Ye Club, the Iowa and National American Home Economists Association and also the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees.

Elsie Mae is survived by a brother, Howard Van Wert, of Okeechobee, FL, and many nieces, nephews and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Lela Mechem, Mildred Davis, J.S. (Pat) Van Wert, Charles Van Wert, Harriet Ormston and three in infancy