Elsie Marie Holck was born on February 16, 1912, to George and Della (Schultz) Holck at their home in Paullina, Iowa.
After her marriage to Ed Westphal in 1928, the couple moved to a farm near Calumet, Iowa, where they farmed until 1967. They retired and moved to a new home in Larrabee, Iowa. Ed passed away in 1975. Elsie married Loran Hardin in 1980. Loran passed away in 2008. Elsie remained in her home in Larrabee until she entered The Gardens Assisted Living in Cherokee. She later made her home at The Cherokee Villa, where she lived until her death there on January 14, 2016, just one month short of her 104th birthday.
Elsie enjoyed many things in life, including dancing, playing cards, cooking, camping, fishing, and traveling. Most importantly, she loved spending time with her family. It was well known amongst her family that, "Grandma was game for anything". She took a ride on the back of a Harley at age 100, and treated herself to Rum & Coke every now and then. She was a member of the Larrabee United Methodist Church, the UMW, and Leisure Club.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Ed Westphal and Loran Hardin; two sons, Robert and Charles Westphal; a daughter, Ardelle Richter; granddaughter, Tonya (Westphal) Cataldo; one grandson, Todd Richter; great-grandson, Chase Westphal; great-granddaughter, Melissa Havlik; great-great-grandson, Emery VanBeek; and siblings, Mavis (Holck) Proehl, Orville Holck and Virgil Holck.
Survivors include two sons, Larry Westphal and his wife Suzi of Banning, CA, and Lonnie Westphal and his wife Annette of Larkspur, CO; daughter-in-law, Dorothy Westphal of Larrabee, IA; grandchildren: Nancy (Richter) and Darrel Clendinnen, Jane (Richter) and Kurt Zimmerman, all of Castle Rock, CO, Kathy (Richter) and Ross Miller of Primghar, IA, Dan and Sandy Richter of Paullina, IA, Rick and Pam Westphal of Larrabee, IA, Terri (Westphal) and Randy Newbury of Brunswick, GA, Christine (Westphal) and Eric Hinds of Malibu, CA, Brett and Lisa Westphal of Yucaipa, CA, Kimberely (Westphal) and John Krueger of Ogden, UT, and Jason and Maureen Westphal of Washington, DC; 28 great-grandchildren, and many great-great grandchildren.
SERVICES
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2016, at the Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee.
OFFICIATING
Pastor Robin Thomas
CASKET BEARERS
Nick Westphal
Nate Westphal
Jason Westphal
Matt Hoskinson
Shawn Miller
Todd Anderson
VISITATION
2:00-4:00 p.m. Sunday, January 17th at the funeral home in Cherokee.
MUSIC
"How Great Thou Art"
"Just As I Am"
Elaine Leonard-Pianist
Andrea Orthmann-Soloist
INTERMENT
Burial will be at Prairie View Cemetery near Paullina, IA.