Elsie Olmstead

Memorial services for Elsie Grace Olmstead, of Junction City, KS will be 11a.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2008, at the First United Methodist Church with Reverend Joyce Allen officiating. A private family burial will take place at Highland Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 6-8 p.m. at Penwell-Gabel Johnson Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be given to the First United Methodist Church, "Scholarship Fund" 804 N. Jefferson Street, Junction City, Kansas 66441.

Elsie Grace Deuel Olmstead, daughter of Allen W. and Martha Pearl Patchen Deuel, passed from this life on Saturday, June 21, 2008, in Junction City, Kansas at the age of 96 years and six months.

Elsie was born on December 21, 1911, at the family home in Mullinville, Kansas. During her youth, she and her family lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Montana and California. In 1930, after graduation from Excelsior High School, Norwalk, California, she moved back to Mullinville, Kansas to be with her family. There is where she met and married Herschel A. Olmstead, her loving husband for fifty five years.

After their marriage on August 9, 1931, they made their home in Wichita, then in Hugoton, Kansas and finally in Junction City, Kansas. To this union were born three sons, Robert, William and Charles.

While living in Hugoton, Mrs. Olmstead was a charter member of the Hugoton P.E.O., served on the Stevens County Library Board, other local organizations and was a secretary for Kramer and Nordling Law Firm.

After moving to Junction City, Elsie remained active in PEO, Chapter GO, was a secretary for Junction City High School until her retirement in 1973 and for many years was a volunteer "Pink Lady" for the Geary Community Hospital Auxiliary and volunteered in the Research Room for the Geary County Historical Society and Museum. Mrs. Olmstead was an active Sunday school teacher at each of the Methodist Churches she attended over the years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three brothers and one son William J.

Survivors include her son Robert of Houston, Texas, son Charles and wife Patricia of Junction City, Kansas, daughter- in-law Rebecca of Wheaton, Maryland, one grandson, Thomas and wife Nicole of Fayetteville, Arkansas, one granddaughter Sara Leming and husband Justin of Wichita, Kansas, five great grandchildren and one brother - in - law, Harold Olmstead of Junction City, Kansas.