Elisabeth Reckendorf

Elisa was born on January 4, 1936 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her dad, George Theodor Steidel, worked with the Navy, and she moved around a lot during her youth because of it. Even attending four different high schools. She was very active at Franklin High School in Detroit, Michigan, where she was a cheerleader. Her Navy dad got reassigned to Great Lakes Naval Training Base in Waukegan, Illinois. Elisa choose to move with her family to Waukegan to finish the last six months of her senior year. In that six months, she established a base of friends that would end up becoming her life long friends. In addition, she met her future husband, Frank Reckendorf. She and Frank met in 1956 at the wedding of one of Frank's former girlfriends! Three years later, in 1959, they were married in Waukegan, Illinois. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Ames, Iowa, where Frank enrolled in the Department of Geology. Elisa found employment as a high school teacher, instructing a Vocational Home Economics and Science course at rural schools in the area. There were 25 graduates in the second high school, and Elisa thought this was a fine teaching experience. Harry Reasoner's crew from CBS filmed the graduation of United Community High School in Boone County, Iowa in 1962.

Elisa and Frank moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1963. Elisa enrolled in Home Economics at Oregon College of Education to work on her Master's Degree, while Frank enrolled in the Soils Department to work on a PhD. Their son Peter was born in Corvallis in 1966, and they adopted their daughter Karel in 1968. The whole family moved to Salem, Oregon in 1969. They were fortunate to be able to enroll their children in a delightful parent co-operative preschool for four years. ELisa felt her childhood parenting classes were most helpful in those early years. Elisa completed her thesis in 1968 and earned a MA in Family Life from Oregon State College. She later taught Home Management and Personal Finance at Oregon State University, Portland State University, and Marylhurst College. She also served on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee and Chemeketa College in Salem for 10 years. She felt this was a rewarding and challenging experience. Starting in 1976 she served as the Consumer Education Coordinator for Portland Public Schools. She taught classes for district teachers and wrote curriculum with them for grades K-12. She felt that this was a fine professional opportunity until the program ended in 1979.

Elisa started a new career as a Library Media Teacher for K-12. In 1983, she received the Media Endorsement for grades K-12 from Western Oregon College. Those who knew her knew about her love of books and reading. She was always on the path to become the typical "Marian the Librarian".

Elisa retired from teaching in 1998. In additional to family and books, she loved to travel. She and Frank were able to to go to over 40 countries together.

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2014, and moved into Brookdale Assisted Living in Keizer, in 2015. She resided there until her death. Her Parkinson's was the major reason for her declining health this past year.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Frank; her son Peter J. Reckendorf, of Lynnwood, Washington; her daughter, Karel J. Reckendorf, of Salem, Oregon; her granddaughter, Rosanna DeGrado of Salem, Oregon; great grandson, Kiernon Hall DeGrado, of Salem, Oregon; and great granddaughter, Raya Garrett.

Her extended family includes her older sister, Nancy Desnoyers or Bridgewater, New Jersey, and younger sister, Georgine Meyer, of Anchorage, Alaska.

She died peacefully on November 12, 2022 at Brookdale Assisted Living in Keizer, Oregon. A Memorial Service at Morningside Methodist Church is being postponed until spring, or early summer, with internment at Willamette National Cemetery, in Portland, Oregon, after the memorial service.