Cynthia Kay Elder

Kay was a quiet, loving lady whose greatest joy in life was in serving and caring for countless friends and family members. She modeled her deep faith in Jesus Christ. A friend of many, Kay's strongest commitment was to her family. Nothing made her happier than spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and great­-grandchildren.

On January 31, 1935, Willis and Verna Fae VanDerbeck of South Bend, Indiana were blessed with the birth of their daughter Cynthia Kay Elder. Kay attended elementary school in South Bend where she met Bob Elder for the first time in their second grade classroom. Later, both Kay and Bob attended South Bend Central High School. Kay went on to graduate from Indiana University and Bob served in the Navy for four years. Kay and Bob were married December 21, 1957 while Bob was on leave. Married life began at Purdue University while Bob finished school.

The family soon grew to three with the birth of their first son, Bruce. After their stint at Purdue University, the family moved to Grand Rapids. While living in Grand Rapids, Kay and Bob had two more children, Bryn and Brett. The family moved between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo several times as Bob found work with different companies. Kay made her family a priority and faithfully came alongside Bob in his vocational endeavors. Kay also worked with Bob at a chain of Hallmark Stores he co-owned, and then later together they started a Molly Maid franchise together in Portage, Michigan. As empty-nesters, they made a job-related move to Milan, Michigan. Kay served 20 years doing data processing at High Scope. She also faithfully volunteered at Ronald McDonald House during those same years.

The family enjoyed traveling, and vacationing in Northern Michigan was a favorite destination. Kay and Bob also relished traveling together when they could get away. Some of their most memorable trips were to the Holy Land, Hawaii, and Scotland. In 1999, they also enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time with their children and grandchildren after Bob's retirement.

Kay's life was simply an outgrowth of her Christian faith. In addition to supporting her husband and family, Kay was involved with various ministries throughout her life including Bible Study Fellowship, Community Bible Study, and Community Choirs. The ministry closest to her heart, however, was premarital counseling. She was committed to offering each young couple an opportunity for a successful marriage and fulfillment in life through a grounded relationship with Jesus Christ. She enjoyed doing that with her husband of 47 years. She closely resembled the woman described in Proverbs 31. Whatever she did, her commitment was to thoughtfully serve others. A woman of humility, Kay helped others however she could, often quietly, in the background and frequently when preparing food was involved. Together, Kay and Bob left a lasting legacy by impacting so many lives in selfless ways. They aimed to leave an eternal impact, and that they did as they passed on their faith to their kids and grandkids through their words and actions.

She will be missed by her children Bruce (Paula) Elder, Bryn (Greg) McCall, Brett (Cindy) Elder; grandchildren Brad (Jenna), Ryan (Christine), Danica, Seth (Rachel), Kaylee (Austin), Brendon, Camden (Lacey); great-grandchildren Noah, Emi, Isla, Elsie; and many friends.

A celebration of Kay's life will be held at Rush Creek Bible Church, 2334 76th St. SW, Byron Center, Ml 49315, on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. A light lunch will follow. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers and in honor of Kay, contributions may be made to Through the Roof Community (a non-profit supporting Brendon as well as his housemates and friends) or Ronald McDonald House. The family welcomes memories and messages at www.cookcaresbyron.com in their online guestbook.