Elaine was born April 27, 1931 in Chicago, Ill., to the late Alfred French and Teresa Manganello. She married the late William Charles Dagendesh of Lacrosse, Wis., in November 1953. They had five children; William (Peggy), Linda (Tim) Grant, Laurie, Michael (Karen) and Karen, seven grandchildren; Scott, Tom (Victoria Calderon), Cathryn, Rosemary, David (Stephanie), Christopher and Amber, one great-granddaughter, Avrielle, a great grandson, Aydan, and a niece, Carolyn Gardner.
She is preceded in death by her husband, brothers Robert (Dorothy) and Donald (Jean) of Beaver Dam, Ky., and sister Marie Gardner of Waco, Texas.
Born amid the Great Depression, Elaine knew only poverty and hardship as a child. She understood families had to work together in order to survive the financial burdens that had seized the nation. For a time, Elaine worked in her mother’s card shop, and later as a cashier in a local theatre.
Often, Elaine spoke about being sent to the local delicatessen where she bought one slice of meat for each family member for supper. She said the meat was sliced so thin that she could see her hand through it.
Determined that her children experienced a better life, Elaine and her husband ensured their children attended catechism classes and graduated high school. She was particularly proud of her sons Michael and William for graduating college. Also, she was the driving force behind numerous memorable birthday and graduation celebrations.
As a parent, Elaine sacrificed many personal goals so that her family would never know want and need. This love was never more obvious than at Christmas when she and her husband ensured that their children experience a magical Christmas. It wasn’t unusual to find an assortment of board games, candy and clothes, sleds and toys littering the living room floor, making it almost impossible to walk.
Elaine also spread her generosity to the military, providing troops with tasty holiday goodies, cards and letters. She found special joy in mailing care packages to troops serving in Operation Desert Storm. She and her daughter, Laurie, filled each care package to overflowing with tasty mouthwatering treats.
The service men and women whom she befriended said her thoughtfulness helped make their serving in a hostile environment more tolerable.
A fan of vintage black and white films, Elaine videotaped many of these classics for her children. An avid outdoors person, she spent her free time working in her yard and garden growing plants and flowers, and once was encouraged to turn professional.
When Elaine wasn’t outdoors, she enjoyed knitting, crochet, working on jigsaw puzzles and tracing her family’s genealogy. She delighted in baking cookies and cakes, and loved to read and buy books, her collection, both hard and soft cover, numbering into the thousands.
Elaine loved sending whimsical gifts, such as coloring books and 99-cent yo-yo’s to her children for their birthday. Often she taped coins to the inside of the birthday cards with the amount of change to reflect the age of the celebrant.
Also, she offered hot meals and/or books when they visited her, and asked about their health. No doubt Elaine lived for her family.
Elaine graduated from Senn High School in Chicago, Ill., in 1949 and considered a military nursing career. She was employed with Illinois Bell Telephone, Chicago; Pan American World Airways, L.I.C., N.Y.; Outers Laboratories, Onalaska, Wis., and Desmond’s Formal Wear, Lacrosse.
“Indeed, Mom sought a better life for us kids. She succeeded. She is an inspiration to everyone and is a testimony to all that is decent and good,” William said of his mother.
Elaine wished to be cremated and remembered in a private family service.
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