Elsie Marie (Holladay) Hamilton Obituary (1910

Mrs. Hamilton's family composed the following memorial: Elsie Marie (Holladay) Hamilton, born on Oct. 4, 1910, was one of 5 children growing up on a rural farm in Rainsboro, Ohio. She left at 16 to attend college in Battlecreek, Michigan, then transferred to Ohio State where she received both a bachelors and masters degree. She met her Prince Charming Mike while at Ohio State and married in Kentucky on May 9, 1937; a secret they kept for a year while working to save money for a 10-month trip to Europe and northern Africa. They had many adventures hiking, biking on their tandem bike, riding the rails and paddling about 1000 miles in their German Kleper foldboat. Upon returning to the states, she and Mike headed west in their new car and trailer. They bought some land north of Seattle and settled down to raise four children and build their own home. Elsie was involved with the children in their various activities, and a very active member of Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church, where for many years she was superintendent of the Sunday school. After the children were grown and married or off to college they sold the family home and built a retirement home in Cliffside, a community which they played a key role in developing. She lived there with Mike for 35 years enjoying the view of the Olympics, their large garden and her many flowers, which she shared with people she visited in Martha and Mary Nursing Home. Her many activities became limited after an illness and stroke in 1992, though she still helped Mike prepare their garden crops for the freezer and continued to play the processional on the organ at Liberty Bay Presbyterian Church for a few months. In early 2001 she and Mike left their Cliffside home and moved into Liberty Shores Assisted Living where Elsie could receive more care. She became sick in August when her children and nieces gathered to be with her in her final days. She died peacefully on August 31, 2004. Elsie is survived by Mike, her devoted husband of 67 years, sisters Evelyn Shelton and Dorothy Miller, children, Jeanne Hamilton, Mike Hamilton, Kathy Nicholson and Linda Hamilton, grandchildren, Adam Hamilton, Karen Donaldson, Amber Corrison, Allison Hamilton, great-grandchildren, Joshua Donaldson, Elysha Donaldson, Brandon Burhart, Brittany Burhart and Brianna Burhart. A memorial service will be held at Liberty Bay Presbyterian Church of Poulsbo, Washington on Friday, September 3, 2004 at 1:30 PM with reception to follow.