Elaine Ryder Obituary

Elaine Ryder

Born: March 2, 1919

Died: May 23, 2014

Elaine (Unger) Ryder of Fennville, Michigan, formerly of LaGrange and Springfield, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 23, 2014 at Golden Orchards Nursing Home.

Her husband, Ray Ryder, died in 1981, and she is survived by children, Susan (Roland) Cull of Springfield, Barb (Ed) Welk of Fennville, and Jack (Deb) of LaGrange Park, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Elaine was born and raised in New Jersey, and upon her marriage to Ray in 1941, moved to LaGrange, where she lived for the next 45 years.

She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of LaGrange; one of the first, and a long time, volunteer at LaGrange Community Memorial Hospital when it opened in 1955; a member of PEO in LaGrange (Chapter CW) and Springfield (Chapter FU); a willing (maybe) room mother at school; den mother for scouts; an avid bridge player; accomplished at sewing (taught all 3 kids to use a sewing machine), knitting, needlepoint, and counted cross-stitch; and she stripped and stained multiple layers of paint off all of the wood work in our early-1900's built house.

A service to thank the wonderful workers at Golden Orchards was held on June 7, 2014 in Fennville, and her ashes were placed in the Memorial Wall of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield on June 27, 2014. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, July 13th at 2:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of LaGrange, 100 West Cossitt, LaGrange.

Memorials may be sent to the church in her name.