Elaine Schwaller

A funeral service for Elaine Schwaller, age 86, will be held Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 10:30 AM at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. A visitation for Elaine will be on Friday, September 26th from 5:00-7:00 PM at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Elaine passed away September 21, 2025, at Community Health Center in Hartley, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers memorials in honor or Elaine may be given to Community Memorial Health Center Memory Care in Hartley, St. Croix Hospice or the Alzheimer Association.

Elaine was born August 10, 1939, in Estherville, Iowa to Floyd and Gertrude Gottsche. She graduated from Arnolds Park High School where she excelled at typing, played in an all-girl’s accordion band, and enjoyed being a part of her local 4H club.

Elaine married Ray Schwaller from Milford on August 5, 1961. They lived in Arnolds Park from 1961 to 1963. During that time, Elaine worked for Wilbur Hanson, a lawyer who also did income taxes for people. She did taxes for her own family for many years. In December 1973, the family moved to Spirit Lake, where Elaine continued using her typing and math skills as the bookkeeper at Hilltop Nursing Home. She really came into her calling when she started her in-home childcare service. Elaine spent 23 years sharing her love with many children from this area. She especially loved caring for babies.

Elaine had many interests including word and jigsaw puzzles, needle crafts, and reading. Her greatest joy was sewing doll clothes for Barbie, Bitty Baby, Cabbage Patch, and American Girl dolls. She was known throughout the community for the quality and creativity she put into her doll clothes, which could often be found at local craft shows including the Odin Craft Mill in Trimont, MN. She and Ray were a great team, as he enjoyed making display racks for her. She also shared her sewing skills with the quilting ladies at Grace Lutheran Church.

Most of all, Elaine loved her family and enjoyed her time with them, especially the annual fishing trips to northern Minnesota where she could fillet a Pike with the best of them. Her grandchildren had a special place in her heart, and she loved watching them grow up. They were the beneficiaries of some amazing Halloween costumes she sewed for them.

She is survived by her son Steven Schwaller of Okoboji, daughter Lori Masad and her husband Randy of Spirit Lake, and daughter Linda Nelson and her husband Chad of Portland, Oregon. She has four grandsons – Anthony Masad and his wife Jennifer of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Chris Masad of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Isaac and Henry Nelson of Portland, Oregon. Her brother Bruce Gottsche and his partner Bill Sherrill live in Hudson, Wisconsin, and her brother Richard Gottsche and his wife Ruth Gottsche live in Estherville, Iowa. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors.

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Ray.

Elaine’s family extends their sincere thanks to the staff at Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley for their professionalism and compassion, as well as the extremely high-quality level of care she received there over these years. We also want to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to St. Croix Hospice. They responded to our needs at a very crucial time. The dedication, skills and compassion shown by both teams was truly top notch.