Elsie Mary Vodall
May 17, 1919 — May 2, 2015
Elsie Vodall, 95, Kevin MT, passed away May 2, 2015, at the Marias Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Shelby Community United Methodist Church with Pastor Collins officiating. Burial will be in the Harlowton Cemetery Friday May 8 at 1 p.m. Arrangements have been entrusted to Whitted Funeral Chapel, Shelby. Please visit Elsie’s online memorial and leave a message of condolence for the family at www.whittedfuneralchapel.com.
Elsie was born May 17, 1919, in Golden Valley, North Dakota, to Max and Dora (Hauff) Fenske. She graduated from Golden Valley High School. After high school, she attended Dickinson State College, where she received her two-year lifetime teaching certificate which led to several one-room school teaching assignments. Then it was off to a job in the big city of Big Timber, Montana. Big cities have Grand Hotels that have cafes with sour cream raisin pie. A local ranch hand cowboy George found the school teacher even more interesting than the pie. They were married June 12, 1953, in Bismarck.
The newly married couple moved from the ranch lands to the Oilmont oilfield where she taught at the local grade school. From there it was to the Rimrock Service station where she always helped out. Elsie could be found delivering rural mail all the way to the Sweet Grass hills if the weather wasn't too severe.
She enjoyed baking cookies, gardening, flowers, and teaching Sunday School. If anybody needed a batch of chocolate chip cookies - Elsie was ready to bake. She loved the piano and often played for the Methodist Church in Kevin. Even this last year in the care center Elsie could still make beautiful music from memory.
She is survived by her son Bill and his wife Marcela of Redmond WA; and numerous nieces and nephews
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband George; sisters Lorraine Severson and Eleanor Lahman; and a brother William Fenske.
Memorials may be made to Manos Unidas Peru ( www.manosunidasperu.net ), a school for handicapped children in Peru.
The family wishes to thank Dan, Chris and Bev for their care and companionship for Elsie over the last couple of years.