Elsa K. Coughlin

Elsa was born on October 26, 1915 in Bishop Hill, IL to Herman A. and Elvera A. (Norrman) Krantz. At the age of 8, upon the death of her mother, Elsa and her brother were placed in the Andover Lutheran Children’s Home where she lived for the next 7 years.

Elsa married Harry A. Capello in New Orleans on April 11, 1942. He passed away on May 6, 1974. She later married Walter B. Coughlin in Peoria on July 14, 1979. He passed away on January 24, 2011 in Peoria. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Walden H. Krantz.

Elsa is survived by her daughters, Cheryl (Dennis) Tucker of Chillicothe, IL and Diane (Ron) Barnes of Ipava, IL; her stepson, James (Lisa) Coughlin of Iowa; her grandchildren, Debby Tucker, Diane(George) Mattson, Scott Tucker, and Theresa (Bruce) Shaw; and her great-grandchildren, Eric and Rachel Mattson and Michael Shaw.

Elsa worked as domestic help to put herself through high school and beauty school. She worked as a beautician and then later as the Cafeteria Manager at Mossville Grade School. She was a member of the Salem Lutheran Church for many years, the Independent Order of Svithoid Brage Lodge #29, Lambda Chapter Pi Omicron Sorority, the First United Methodist Church and the UM Women’s Group, CHC Sunday school, the 55 Year Plus Group and the Triple M Group all at her church.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 1pm at Davison-Fulton Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home on Willow Knolls Road in Peoria. Rev. Vonna Lou Larson will be officiating. Memorials may be made to a church of the donor’s choice.

Elsa willed her body to a college of medicine. She was always proud to say with a twinkle in her eye that she would go to college one day.