Rev. Elmer Edward Griesse

Elmer Edward Griesse passed away May 15th in Good Samaritan nursing home Yakima, Washington. The 6th of 10 children, he was born in Meinert, Missouri on February 7th 1919 to Lydia Wassman and August Griesse, a Lutheran pastor. He followed the same vocation as his father, together with 5 of his brothers. After finishing Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and obtaining his Master’s in History at Washington University, he embarked on a missionary career in southern India. He began his missionary work after WWII during the turbulent period of the Indian Independence movement led by Gandhi.

On furlough, he met his future wife, Florine, who was working in the Lutheran Mission Office in St. Louis. She accompanied him for 12 of the 19 years he was in India. Mark, their first son, was born in 1953 and is today pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Selah, Washington. Margaret, their second child, was born in 1958 and is currently residing in Tacoma, where she and her husband teach at the University of Washington.

In 1963, they returned to the United States and served congregations in Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, and Mississippi. Tolerant and idealist, Elmer emphasized the Theology of the Cross and its Christ-centered interpretation of the Gospel. He loved singing in the choir and until his final days, he sang the bass line of hymns. His favorite composer was Johann Sebastian Bach and his favorite poet was Paul Gerhardt. He used a polyglot Bible with columns in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and German. His linguistic and cultural knowledge permeated his sermons and correspondence. His favorite joke was funny only for those who understood both Latin and German!

Elmer was an avid tennis player into his 60s and liked to remember the time he won a game with four service aces. He played a mean game of scrabble and enjoyed playing bridge with friends. The jacuzzi was his favorite place at the fitness club. He was always supportive of his family. Mark married Yvonne Heiden and had three children: Joshua, Benjamin and Joanne. Margaret married Amós Nascimento and had Sarah and Martín. His grandchildren could count on their grandfather for visits to the park, story telling, poems and word games.

After forty years in the ministry, Elmer retired to Olympia, Washington in 1984, but continued to write his weekly sermons. At Trinity Lutheran Church, he assisted with visitation and bible classes. Both he and Florine took time to visit family in several states, South America and Europe. In 2002, they moved to Monroe, Washington to be closer to Mark and Yvonne. In 2008, due to progressive memory loss and failing health, Elmer was transferred to a nursing home where he received daily family visits.

In February 2009, Elmer celebrated his 90th birthday with his family and church members. When his son accepted a call to Selah, Elmer was transferred to a nursing home where he received constant family visits. Despite his condition, he maintained his personality, good humor, sophisticated language and humility. We are grateful for Elmer’s 91 years of life and his influence among us. He concluded his life true to his faith, by accepting death calmly, with his wife of six decades by his side. Elmer is survived by his wife, Florine Griesse, his two children, Mark Griesse and Margaret (Amos Nascimento) Griesse, his five grandchildren, Joshua (Jessica), Benjamin, Joanne, Sarah and Martin and his two sisters, Doris Snyder of Kansas City and Lois Hoyer of Indiana. A Memorial Service will be held at Peace Lutheran Church, 91 Wernex Loop, Selah, at 4pm, Thursday, May 27th.

Arrangements under the direction of Keith & Keith Funeral Home, Yakima, WA.