Elaine Ruth Eisele Strobel left this Earth on January 11, 2023, to go to the home that Jesus has prepared for her. She was born on November 27, 1935, in a farmhouse near Elmo, Kansas to Alvin and Ruth Riffel Eisele. She was a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church until she moved away, but came full circle to attend again in the later years of her life.
Elaine attended a one room school called Stoney Hill for eight years, then entered Dickinson County High School in Chapman, Kansas, graduating in 1953. She then enrolled in Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but finished her college education at Pillsbury Bible College, Owatona, Minnesota in 1957.
On August 7, 1959, she was united with Chester Strobel in a marriage that continued for over 63 years, and to that union, four children were born.
Elaine was a pastor's wife for 38 years, serving churches in Beatrice, Nebraska; Redman, Washington; Bison and Hope, Kansas.
She had many different work experiences throughout her life, including working for Back To The Bible Ministry in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kansas City Youth for Christ, The Eisenhower Presidential Center, and the Family Care Clinic in Abilene, Kansas. She was also an accomplished homemaker and gracious hostess.
In 2002, she and Chester became administrators of the Brown Memorial Retirement Home just outside of Abilene, Kansas, where she served as Matron. They retired from there in 2014, and lived independently in the farm house where she was born until September of 2022, when they moved to Brown Home as residents.
Elaine was also involved in her community as a Sunday school teacher, bible study leader, choir member, and in Christian woman's luncheons in Abilene. She had a small business called, "Creations by Elaine", selling many wonderful sewn items.
Elaine was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Althea Carey.
She is survived by her husband, Chester; children, Susan Weimar (Gary) of Peculiar, Missouri, Steve Strobel (Wendy) of High Point, North Carolina, Sandra Anderson (Wayne) and Shelia Waldrop (Jody) both of Abilene, Kansas. Also, fourteen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, brother in-law Robert Carey, sister-in-law Darlene Frueh, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A memorial Celebration is planned for March 11, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ebenezer Baptist Church with inurnment at the cemetery. Memorials will be accepted for Ebenezer Baptist Church or The Gideons. There are plans to have a hummingbird garden established in her name at Brown Memorial Home, her last place of residents.