Elnora Lutz

ELNORA LUTZ

Anamosa

Elnora B. (Custis) Lutz, 99, of Anamosa and Solon, died Monday, May 5, 2014, just a few months short of reaching the century mark. She had lived with her daughter in Solon, who lovingly cared for her for nearly six years. She previously had been a lifelong resident of Anamosa. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, with

interment in the Shilo

Cemetery, Hiawatha.

Speaker Lowell Klinefelter will officiate at the services. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the

funeral home.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.

Elnora is survived by three children, Janet (Jim) Henderson of Ely, Barbara (Rich) Pazdernik of Solon and Richard (Charolette) Lutz of Oelwein. There are 14 grandchildren, Randy (Vicky) Wilken of Hiram, Ga., Rick (Paula) Wilken of Ashland, Va., Pam (Frank) Mueller of Ely, Tami (Mark) Rowell of Cedar Rapids, Rob (Jennifer) Wilken of West Des Moines, Kim Wilken, Jerry Johnson and Karen Royer of Stanwood, Lori (Mark) Johnson of Cedar Rapids, Lisa (Ken) Ford of Kalona, Joel (Laura) Johnson of Raleigh, N.C., Susan Recek of Cedar Rapids, Jeff Lutz of Salem, Ore., and Michelle (Jason) Santouosso of Topsfield, Mass.

Additionally there are 33 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great-grandchildren and one expected great-great-grandchild.

Also surviving is her sister, Esther Otto of Iowa City, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clarence in 1995; a brother, Everett Custis, Anamosa, in 2008; and a

sister, Micky Parsons, also of Anamosa, in 2002.

Elnora was born Sept. 24, 1914, in Olin, Iowa, the daughter of William L Custis and Garnet B Tarbox Custis. She lived in Olin initially and then moved to Anamosa as a young child. She attended the Anamosa schools, graduating in 1932, and Iowa State Teachers College, where she earned a purple arrow for her academic achievements. She taught in a country school in Olin for a short time before she married Clarence W. Lutz of Marion on Dec. 22, 1934. They lived in Anamosa, before moving to rural Anamosa, where Clarence, with help, built the home they lived in for 60 years on property he had purchased from his father. She remained in that home until she got cancer in 2008, when she moved to

Solon to live with Barbara and Rich.

During World War II, Clarence was drafted into the Army and was gone for two years. Elnora milked a cow, raised chickens and fished in the nearby Wapsipinicon River to take care of their family while he was gone. Her father brought wild game and goats milk to help out. She taught several grandsons how to clean fish, squirrels and rabbit. She was an avid gardener, always having a huge garden and taking pride in preserving most of the produce. Many people came to her home to pick up asparagus, rhubarb, grapes or to get cuttings of many of her plants. Later on, Elnora helped Clarence with the orchard he put in during the 70s and 80s. When he could no longer care for the orchard, some of the orchard equipment was purchased by Allen's Orchard in

Marion.

Living so close to the land reinforced Elnora's faith in God. Elnora taught us her skills and knowledge, not only by words, but by example. She was a faithful minister of the Anamosa Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses for many, many years. She was proud and happy to proclaim her faith to anyone who would listen and left an amazing example of how to live a happy and productive life. We were very fortunate to have such great parents.