Joleen Ann Elijah
Joleen Ann Elijah
Born in New Ulm on June 7th, 1931 to Raymond and Gladys (Reinhart) Ries while living in Nicollet County on a farm north of Klossner. She attended country school near Klossner and Holy Trinity High School in New Ulm. She moved with her family to Lisbon, North Dakota in 1948 and graduated from Lisbon High School in 1949. She worked in a law office before marrying Carroll Elijah at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Lisbon on October 27, 1951. They settled in Spokane, Washington with Carroll working for Sears Roebuck. They later moved with Sears to Fargo ND, Minneapolis MN, Milwaukee and Appleton WI, and Peoria, Moline and Chicago IL where she worked at Chicago Title Insurance Company and owned a Baskin Robbins store.
Upon retirement in 1984, Joleen moved back to New Ulm with Carroll where she served on the boards of the Wanda Gag House and Christian Women. She was active with the Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Daughters. She was a church commission chairperson, sacristan and a communion minister at St. Mary’s, Oak Hills Living Center and Sunset Apartments for many years. She was a member of the German-Bohemian Society, the Lind House,The Turner Ladies and sang for many years with The German-Bohemian Heritage Singers. She was a huge contributor to the restoration of the historic home of Richard Pfefferle at 19 S. State Street.
Joleen was a kind and caring daughter, mother and grandmother. She was known to always be ready to help in any way with never a need for recognition or compensation. Words used to describe her are trustworthy, gentile, hardworking, quiet and humble. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years Carroll Lewis Elijah, two of her sisters Roselyn Gilbert of Lisbon and Dianne Embacher of New Ulm, brothers-in-law Paul Kretsch and Bill Embacher of New Ulm, John Gilbert of Lisbon and sister-in-law Elaine Ries of Dickinson, ND.
She leaves behind her sister Janice Kretsch of New Ulm and her brother LaRay Ries of Dickinson, ND; her 5 children Cathy and Rick Kerns of Prescott, AZ, Steve Elijah of Forest Park, Il, Geoffrey and Myriam Elijah of West Chicago, II, Mark Elijah and Kris Zetah of New Ulm and Lori and Robert McCaffrey of Sugar Grove, IL; her grandchildren Michelle Elijah (Daniel Van Duerm) and Rachel Elijah (lan MacKay), Michael Elijah (Mary Lou Kutska) and Meredith and John McCaffrey; her great grandchildren Alejandro and Santiago MacKay and Isaac Elijah.
Because of family circumstances a burial service will be held in the future and notice will be given when plans are finalized. The family would like to thank the Allina Hospice Staff for helping us through such a difficult time.
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