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Elaine Kehren Obituary

    Elaine Marie Kehren passed away Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019.
    She was born May 22, 1931 and was baptized into the Christian faith June 7, 1931 by Pastor Schramm. She was confirmed in that faith May 20, 1945 by Pastor Albrecht, her memory verse being Luke 11:28, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.”
    Elaine grew up an only child to her parents Ed and Meta Corleus on a farm near Oak Center. She attended Oak Center public school first through sixth grade, and for seventh and eighth grade she attended St. John’s Lutheran School in Lake City. She went on to attend Lincoln High School, although instead of graduating, chose at the age of 17 to marry her husband of 71 years, Walter Kehren, on Aug. 27, 1948. The theme for their wedding sermon was from Galatians 5:13b, “By love serve one another.”
    Right after their marriage they farmed her parents farm, which one day became their own. On this farm she and Walter raised nine children.
    Elaine, for a short time worked at Zero King, a coat factory, but soon after was hired by Lake City Hospital as a nurse’s aide. After working some years she acquired her GED, continued schooling and became an LPN in 1972, and altogether as an aide and nurse worked at the hospital for 30 years.
    Elaine was a faithful member of St. Peter Belvedere and then St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lake City, where she served on altar guild.
    During her retirement years, she and Walter traveled to visit children in Ohio, Maine, Florida and Washington state. Through all her life’s adventures, joys and sorrows, Elaine was sustained by her faith in God’s grace, and until the very end remained thankful to her God and Savior Jesus Christ.
    She is survived by her husband, Walter; her son, Steven; son-in-law, Michael; sons, Joe, David (Mary Jo), and Daniel (Sheila); daughter, Mary Olmsted (Tom); sons, Paul (Kelly) and Philip (Annette); and daughter, Ruth Lee (Jeff), 26 grandchildren; and 48 great-grandchildren, with three more arriving soon. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Meta Corleus; her grandson, Jacob Walter Kehren; her daughter, Joanne Virginia Osterlin; and her daughter-in-law, Judy Kehren.
    Her memorial service will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. with lunch to follow in the church’s fellowship hall. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in the fellowship hall of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Memorials may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church roof fund, or charity of your choice.

The Lake City Graphic

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ISSN 2994-1059 (print)  ISSN 2994-1067 (online)