- Date Of Birth: August 15, 1925
- Date Of Death: August 25, 2016
- State: Michigan
Elinor Elaine (Jessup) Lentz, 91, beloved wife and mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother, passed away in her home Thursday, August 25, 2016.
Elaine was born to Stanley Paul and Vivian Irene (Wheeler) Jessup on August 15, 1925 in Homer, Michigan. She attended high school in Breckenridge, Michigan and graduated from Eastern High School in Detroit in 1943. Elaine then attended Central Michigan College where she was she a member of Sigma Tau Delta, an honorary English Society, graduating in 1947. One week after graduating she married Charles Lentz in the Wheeler Methodist Church.
Always proud of being in the teaching profession, Elaine taught 3rd grade at the Wright Avenue Elementary School in Alma during the first two years of marriage. After that, for the next 36 years, she raised five sons and two daughters. Her love of teaching influenced her mother role, as all of her children, each one of whom she loved as “a pearl beyond price”, will testify, each of them having learned to read at an early age.
Once her youngest had entered school, Elaine became a substitute teacher at Bullock Creek and Floyd Elementary Schools, which gave her pleasure, being once more in the classroom. In addition, she volunteered many hours as a tutor and as an adult education teacher for GED students. She taught reading as a volunteer for the Literacy Council, taught Sunday school in her church and assisted the Special Education teacher at Bullock Creek Elementary School and the former Patterson Street School. She delivered art and explained its importance to students at Floyd Elementary School as the “Picture Lady”; delivered library books to Provincial House; and participated in the Lunch Box Reading Program at Eastlawn Elementary School. She also volunteered at both the Midland County Health Department and the Methodist Church, providing childcare for the low income mothers.
Elaine was also a volunteer in raising funds for the March of Dimes and UNICEF; worked for the Democratic Party as a Precinct Delegate; and was a long-time and proud member of NOW and the ACLU. She represented the United Church of Christ on the first board for the Emergency Food Pantry, and was one of the organizers of the first “Head Start” program at Barnes School, where she also worked as a teacher’s aide.
In the 1980’s and 90’s a group of poetry writers and readers formed a monthly meeting encouraging her interest in poetry and fostering new friendships. Art, music and reading were long among her most serious interests. Letter writing must have been in her genes. She had a collection of letters written by a great grandfather when he was a soldier in the Civil War, and another collection of greeting cards her mother had been the recipient of as a young woman, not to mention that her own writing was legendary.
But perhaps foremost was Elaine’s love of others. Her uncompromising generosity, optimism and kindness was a living light to all those she touched; her selfless caring and joy and good humor a gift to all who were lucky enough to have crossed her worldly path.
Elaine is survived by her husband of 69 years, Charles, her sons, Stephan (Terry), James (Janice Braun), Joseph (Cherelyn Bush), Anthony (Laura Snitzer), Christopher (Katie); daughters, Mary (Brent) Gilbert, Deanne; grandchildren, Sarah Male, Isaac Lentz, Gwenalyn Lentz Clisso, Evan Lentz, Joseph Lentz, Tova Lentz, Jasmine Lentz; nine great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Richard Jessup; sister, Phyllis Childs; and nephew Gary Childs.
