Elise was born May 24, 1939 in Challis, Idaho to Lavern “Tuck” Rider and Amanda “Marie” Sharp. At the time, Tuck was employed by the CCC and worked constructing parks in the beautiful Challis National Forest. Marie and Tuck found employment at the Portland shipyards during wartime and while working there, Elise and her siblings lived with Marie’s parents on their farm in Oregon City. Elise loved living on the farm and her fondest memories were those of helping her Grandpa Sharp hunt wild mushrooms in the nearby forest. The family relocated to Layton, Utah where Tuck was employed at Hill Air Force Base. Elise met and fell in love with Ernest Todd, a handsome Marine, returning from service in Korea. On April 29, 1956 they married in Layton, Utah. Ernie and Elise had four children, and in 1968 the family moved from Utah to Eltopia.
As they traveled down the Columbia gorge leaving behind mountains and forest, Elise thought they had moved to the ugliest place on earth. However, Elise soon began to appreciate the mild winters, rugged desert landscape, and the agricultural diversity in the Columbia Basin. To help support the family, Elise worked many jobs including: Assistant postmaster, Teacher and Library Aide at Mesa Elementary School, and bookkeeper for over 20 years at Western Farmers/Cenex Full Circle.
When Elise retired, she and Ernie labored many long hours to beautify their hillside garden. When Ernie passed away in 2006, working in her beautiful yard and garden was the best therapy for her grieving heart. Besides gardening, Elise’s many hobbies were oil painting, re-finishing furniture, and doll making. Thanks to instruction from her perfectionist Grandma Helga, she was a master at sewing, embroidery and crocheting.
Elise was an amazing Mom, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her family and she couldn’t say “no” to any of her grandkids. She will be remembered by her family and friends for the delicious fudge and divinity she made at Christmas, the mountains of french pancakes, which she would happily prepare whenever requested. Elise will also be remembered for the marathon weekends playing board games with the grandkids, the popcorn balls made at Halloween, decorating for Christmas and playing poker after fabulous holiday meals.
Elise is survived by her children: Christine (John) Hilmes of Mesa, Washington, Tressa (David) Piekarski of Connell, Washington, Leslie (Pete) Schweiger of Davenport, Washington and Ernest (Terri) Todd of Mountain Home, Idaho. Brothers Dell (Jocile) Rider of Nampa, Idaho and Don (Vicki) Rider of Reno, Nevada. Sister-in-laws Florence (Tom) Brown of Sisters, Oregon and Mary Rider of Haines, Oregon. 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
Elise was preceded in death by husband, Ernie, her parents Marie and Tuck, brothers Bill and Ralph Rider and grandson Ernest Carl Todd.
The family wishes to thank all those friends who helped support Elise during her long hard fight with cancer, especially Jerry and Karen Ferguson. Our heartfelt thanks to the Lincoln County hospital staff for their loving care of Elise and her family as they held vigil at her bedside before her passing.
Elise was a strong, courageous, loving, compassionate, artistic, resourceful, hardworking, beautiful person and all who knew and loved her will miss her.
A graveside service will be held on November 1, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at the Mountain View Cemetery in Connell, Washington. Funeral arrangements are by Strate Funeral Home, Davenport, Washington. The family invites you to sign their online tribute wall at http://www.stratefuneralhome.com .
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