Elaine Astrid Westman was born on February 9, 1929, to Oscar and Ruth Lundberg in Rock Creek, Minnesota. It was a cold winter day when Oscar took the horses and sleigh to pick up the doctor, who stayed overnight rather than risk not making it back if he left.

That spring, one of the neighbors who came to welcome the new baby was Julia Westman, who brought her six-year-old son, Oliver, with her. Twenty-two years later, Oliver proposed.

Elaine attended one-room country schools in the Rock Creek area through eighth grade. In ninth grade, she began attending Rush City High School. At the end of her first day in the big school, she couldn't find the door leading to the buses. Finally, someone kindly told her she was on the second floor...problem solved!

Elaine attended Sunday School at East Rock Creek Baptist, a short walk from her home, and accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at age 16. She wasn't loud about her faith but lived it out daily and shared it clearly with her family.

She graduated at age 16 and began her career as a secretary at a real estate business in Minneapolis before becoming the bookkeeper at the Rush City Locker Plant. Her only formal preparation for these positions was the business and accounting classes she had taken in high school from the legendary Mrs. Gena Froelke.

In 1947, she headed to California with her friend Jeannette Nelson and found employment in the secretarial pool of a title insurance company. During the year they lived in California, they became active in Eagle Rock Baptist Church, where Jeannette met her future husband, Cliff Holm. He would later become the pastor who officiated Elaine and Oliver's wedding.

After returning from California in 1948, Elaine enrolled at Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis, where Billy Graham was serving as president. Elaine was part of a group of seven friends who called themselves the "Perfection Sisters." These women remained lifelong friends and made her college years especially meaningful. Because of the cost of tuition, Elaine did not return for a second year. Instead, she worked as secretary to the superintendent of Rush City Schools from 1949 until 1951, when she married.

Elaine and Oliver were married on May 5, 1951. Oliver had hoped to get the oats planted before the wedding, but three inches of snow fell the night before. Regardless, they enjoyed a beautiful candlelight ceremony before heading to the Curtis Hotel in Minneapolis for their honeymoon.

Throughout more than 40+ years of employment, Elaine worked for Rush City Schools, Frandsen Lumber Company, Plastech Corporation, and Karle Hammargren Insurance. At Rush City Schools, she advanced from part-time teacher's aide to secretary for the principal and superintendent, then District Bookkeeper, and eventually retired as Business Manager after working there for 30 years. She received computer training as part of her work, and that familiarity with technology served her well and remained one of her interests in her 90s. Along the way, she formed many lasting friendships. One such friend, Sally Carlson, remained especially dear, and Elaine treasured her visits.

Elaine and Oliver were blessed with six children—Barb, Jim, Sandy, Sharon, Barry, and an infant son who died at birth in 1956. She was a busy woman, caring for her family, returning to full-time work after the children were in school, preparing hearty meals most evenings (sometimes with help from her mother-in-law Julia, Oliver’s Aunt Effie, or the invention of TV dinners), and faithfully shuttling her children to their many activities. Having Barry at age 42, she was determined that he would not have "old-looking" parents, so she continued dyeing her hair until he graduated from high school.

Away from work, her home was Grand Central Station for children, grandchildren, and eventually great-grandchildren. In her free time, Elaine enjoyed reading, gardening, crocheting, embroidery, and quilting. She also taught piano to several of her grandchildren. Later in life, she lovingly compiled the memories of both her husband and her mother into written memoirs, preserving their stories for future generations.

In 2014, Elaine fell and broke her hip. She had also ruptured her quadriceps tendon in the fall, but the injury went undetected until it could no longer be properly repaired. She went to Ecumen for rehabilitation, and Oliver joined her there for respite care. As it turned out, they never returned home. Oliver passed away in 2015, and Elaine lived in assisted living facilities before moving to the care center at GracePointe. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2025 and received hospice care for about a year before passing away peacefully in the early morning of July 10, 2026.

Elaine is survived by her children, Barb Westman; Jim (Donna) Westman, all of Rush City; Sandy Westman of Fridley; Barry (Tina) Westman of Fort Wayne, Indiana; son-in-law Roberto Cicero of Eden Prairie; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; brother, Lonnie Lundberg of Cambridge; along with several nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Ruth Lundberg; her husband, Oliver Westman; an infant son; her daughter, Sharon Juliahna Grace Westman; her sister, Ethyl (Willard) Hendrickson; and sister-in-law Charlotte Lundberg.

Pastor Tim Adams will officiate funeral services at 11:00 AM; Friday, July 17, 2026, at Journey North Church in Pine City. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday, July 16, at Olson Funeral Chapel in Rush City and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will follow at First Lutheran Cemetery in Rush City.

Memorials may be directed to Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), the Dementia Society of America, or Optage Hospice through the Presbyterian Homes Foundation.

Elaine will be remembered for her kindness, quiet strength, lifelong love of learning, unwavering devotion to her family, and a quiet faithfulness that touched generations.

Funeral arrangements for Elaine Westman are entrusted to the: Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City ~ Olson Chapel. FuneralAndCremationService.com