Elaine Anna McNulty

Elaine Anna McNulty, 83, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Elaine was born on August 9th, 1942, to John and Hilda Duitsman in Montevideo, MN. She grew up in Clara City, MN, and graduated from Clara City High School in 1960. Her classmates remembered her as “a lot of fun, and always around when there’s work to be done.” She loved music and was active in Chorus, Band, Pep Band, Glee Club, and Pep Club. Her instrument of choice was the trombone, and she played it with joy.

After high school, Elaine attended Bible school in Michigan, graduating four years later. Her heart’s desire was to minister to teenagers, and throughout her life she found countless opportunities to pour into young people. In the late 1960s, while working as a church secretary in Pennsylvania, she met the love of her life, Norbert. They were married on January 2nd, 1971.

Elaine and Norbert loved Jesus more than anything, and everything they did was rooted in their desire to increase the Kingdom of God in the earth. Elaine had a special gift with children, and she became an instant success at Rock Church Academy, helping elementary students navigate the ACE program. She celebrated every breakthrough—every quiz, every test, every “light bulb moment.”

After several years of teaching, Elaine embraced her entrepreneurial spirit and opened a daycare in her home, where she made some of her greatest lifelong impacts. Elaine also loved to sew and for a couple of years she had the privilege of being the costume designer for Anita Bryant’s Show in Pigeon Forge, TN. Later, she found one of the great joys of her working life as a prayer counselor for the 700 Club, ministering to people with compassion and faith. She finished her career helping her daughter and son in law at their pet grooming business, Paws and Purrs where, even at 70 years old, she could outwork the younger staff to their amazement. Elaine carried a beautiful curiosity about every person she met. She cherished their stories, and she treated everyone as a friend she simply hadn’t met yet.

More than anything, Elaine loved her family—both immediate and extended. Her deepest desire was that each one would know how much Jesus loved them. She was the family’s greatest encourager and proudest supporter, especially of her children and grandchildren. Though she went home to be with Jesus unexpectedly, she lived every day ready to meet Him, and she longed for her family to be ready as well.

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Norbert McNulty, and her twin sister, Ester Shortsle. She is survived by her children, Mark McNulty and wife, Jody; and Faith Quade and husband, Nathan; her grandchildren, Mandy, Aubrey, and Ethan; her brother, Jerome Duitsman and wife, Cheryl; and her sister, Mary Duitsman.

Elaine’s life was marked by faith, joy, and a love for people that never wavered. By the Grace of God, her legacy lives on in every life she touched.