Elsie Virginia Lindquist Slagle

Elsie Virginia Slagle, 92, of Queen Creek, Arizona - formerly of Sun Lakes, passed away on July 10, 2012. She is survived by her son Roger Slagel and his wife Kay, daughter Lynn Webb and her husband Duane, brother John Lindquist, sister Bernice Harvey, two grandchildren; Travis J. Webb and Davis E. Webb, and four great grandchildren; Jackson, Cohen, Shelby Lynn, and Talen Webb.

The following biographical information was written by Elsie's beloved husband, Bob, who passed away on August 16, 1995.

Elsie was brought to the Northwest at an early age and recalled her joy with the natural beauty of the area, living in a cabin along the Hood Canal where her father was an engineer with Simpson logging. When the family moved to Chicago, Illinois she found equal joy playing with other children, and developed a life long fascination with reading through the accessibility of public libraries., The family moved once again to a rural area near Frankfurt, Illinois just 32 miles from Chicago, where Elsie developed a love for gardening. Educated in a rural one-room school she graduated and entered Joliet Township High School where she took a secretarial course, graduating in 1938.

She met the right boy at age 14 and was married at the age of 21 on June 21st, 1941.

Elsie was a happy, helpful, partner in life's adventure. It perhaps can be best expressed by the words of the French poet Madame de Geradin:

To be loved by the one you love

To be admired by the one you admire

In a word to be the idol of one's idol

is exceeding the limits of human joy

it is stealing the fire from heaven.

Elsie's nomadic nature harmonized with her husband's and she was forever ready and willing to seek new adventures beyond the horizon. Yet she was gifted at nest building and could transform a drab dwelling into a cozy homelike atmosphere, scented with the delightful fragrance of her formidable skill as a cook. Her decorating skill was extravagant only in the ingenuity employed increasing the comforts and ambiance of gracious living. Yet she shunned ostentation all her life, even to the extent of embarrassing her husband with her honest and forthright view of life and its living. Elsie was the stabilizing keel of the matrimonial relationship, the sounding board in the navigation of life's trials, and the safe harbor with her caring, loving, embrace.

Her son was born February 25, 1944 in Laredo Texas. Her daughter was born on October 21, 1945 in Boise Idaho.

What Elsie lacked in informed parenting skills, she more than compensated for by time and attention she devoted to her children, either in guiding their play or on extended nature walks, as well as their physical and emotional needs. All this while doing a spectacular balancing act that would be the envy of any gymnast in continuing to be a loving, affectionate, attentive wife. If any facet of her demanding complex schedule was to be put on hold, it was the housework. In Elsie's special set of priorities, house work would wait until she was able to get to it.

In Elsie's early married life she was reticent to express many of her opinions in public. Prefering to acquiese to her husband's public expressions to build his self esteem and stature. In public that is, but another matter in private. Once her husband achieved maturity and self assurance, Elsie expressed herself openly, pro or con, without hesitation, rancor, or derision. Though she never aspired to leadership roles, she would serve with the distinction in supporting those that did. Elsie participated in her husband's volunteer activities and acquired several of her own such as volunteering as a Gray Lady at the magnolia Adult Day Center, and secretary of the Music Board and Women's Fellowship.

After the children were grown and on their own, Elsie entered the business world. While in Phoenix she worked her way up from Automobile License Clerk to property Tax Supervisor. After moving back to Seattle, she worked for Lloyds of London and finally in the International Department of the Bank of California from which she retired in 1982.

Elsie regrets not reaching 100 years of age, just for the fun of it, but also feels the urgency to join her husband, Bob, in their next life. She plans to come back as an architect and a drummer in a dance band. Her parting wish is to part with happiness for the blessing Elsie and Bob enjoyed during their life together with their two greatest creations, their son and daughter.

A Memorial Service, celebrating Elsie's life will be held on July 19, 2012, 11:00 a.m., at Sun Valley Community Church,6240 S Price Rd, Tempe, AZ 85283

Donations have been requested, in lieu of flowers to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, Arizona 85014 or you may donate on line at www.hov.org.

Arrangements and final resting place for Elsie have been entrusted to Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery, Chandler, Arizona.