Elaine M. Lagerstrom

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Elaine grew up with a natural curiosity about people and the lives they lived. That curiosity would become a defining thread throughout her remarkable 101 years. Along the way she was many things – a competitive bowler, a gifted cook, a Life Master in bridge, a devoted mother and grandmother – but perhaps her greatest passion was listening to others and helping their stories find a voice.

That passion eventually found its most meaningful expression at Highland Springs Retirement Community, where Elaine was among the original residents – a Pioneer – and where she would live for nearly twenty years before passing in her sleep on the morning of Monday, March 9, 2026.

Highland Springs became much more than a place to live. For Elaine, it was a community rich with history, experience, and remarkable people whose lives deserved to be remembered. Soon after arriving, she began writing for Voices, the Highland Springs community publication, where she had the idea to learn and share the personal stories of her fellow residents.

For many years Elaine was a staple of Voices. With curiosity and warmth, she sat down with others in the community and invited them to share their life journeys. Veterans, teachers, business leaders, parents, Texans and non-Texans alike – each person had a story, and Elaine had a gift for helping them tell it. Soon, she was flooded with people recommending the stories of others or, in some cases, volunteering to share their own!

Her writing captured moments of courage, humor, hardship, and triumph. She understood that behind every quiet hallway conversation was often a lifetime of experiences full of interesting accomplishments, family, careers, travel, and love. Through Voices, Elaine helped preserve those memories so they could be shared across the community and treasured by others. Her writing helped residents find common ground and were keenly anticipated each month.

In many ways, she became an informal historian of Highland Springs, helping neighbors see one another not simply as residents, but as people who had lived extraordinary lives.

Long before her years at Highland Springs, Elaine had already shown a deep interest in people and community. After marrying Hal Lagerstrom in 1956 – the two having met at a state bowling tournament – they moved to Dubuque, Iowa when Hal accepted a position as Sports Editor for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. In Dubuque, Elaine became involved with Operation Friendship in the 1960s, helping organize opportunities for underprivileged children from her hometown of Chicago to spend summers in Dubuque with host families. She believed strongly that exposure to new experiences and kindness could change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

Elaine was also known for bringing people together in more personal ways. Her kitchen was legendary among family and friends, especially when Italian cooking was on the menu. Pizza, pasta, and countless other dishes were prepared with enthusiasm and shared generously around the table.

Her intellectual curiosity extended to games of strategy as well. Elaine became a Life Master in bridge, mastering a game that rewards patience, discipline, and partnership – qualities that defined much of her life. She was also an avid cribbage player and enjoyed games with friends and her son, Steve, for many years at Highland Springs.

Later, while living in Wilmington, North Carolina, she shared her love of storytelling as a regular guest on WAAV radio, where she shared engaging stories of her own life experiences. She even published a book titled “Over the WAAV’s” that was filled with those anecdotes. Yet it was through Voices at Highland Springs that her passion for preserving personal history found its most lasting home.

Elaine understood something simple but powerful – that a community grows stronger when its members truly know one another. By listening carefully and writing thoughtfully, she helped ensure that the remarkable lives of her fellow residents would not fade quietly into memory.

After 101 years, Elaine’s own story now joins the many she helped preserve. And fittingly, it is a story rooted in curiosity, compassion, and a lifelong belief that every life, when shared, becomes part of something larger. In this case, the shared history of the Highland Springs community she treasured so much!

Elaine is survived by her daughter, Ann, her husband, Roger, Elaine's son, Steve and his wife, Marianne, and their children – her grandchildren - Andrew and Liza. She even lived to have a great-granddaughter, Hadley (Andrew’s daughter), who was born in January. Elaine will be missed by many who fondly remember her story of a life well-lived.