Obituary: Mertens, Elaine
Age 78
The family moved to Spokane when Elaine was six and she grew up on South Regal, attending Sacred Heart Grade School and Marycliff High School.
She was able to celebrate her 60th reunion with classmates from Marycliff in early September this year.
Elaine married Joe Mertens on August 24, 1957 at Sacred Heart Church; they were married for 53 years before Joe’s death in 2011.
Prior to her wedding, she had started a long career with the Sisters of Providence.
Elaine eventually was the financial secretary for the Sisters of Providence Treasurer of the St. Ignatius Province.
She held this position until retiring in 2001, after 35 years of service.
Her retirement gift was her trusty IBM Selectric typewriter.
For more than 30 years Joe and Elaine were involved with the Marriage Encounter Community attending many local and national events.
They were a living example of how to live a marriage and influenced many friends as well as their children and grandchildren with their love for each other.
Elaine enjoyed entertaining and was especially fond of preparing appropriate desserts and sandwiches for afternoon tea.
She also planted petunias every year to create a garden sanctuary on her patio that she enjoyed in her rocking chair.
Elaine learned how to play cards from her father and continued her competitive and winning ways with many games of cribbage and rummy with her grandchildren.
She also spent many mornings at the Children’s Masses at St. Charles and at St. Anthony’s, her family parish.
Joe and Elaine were faithful attendees at the annual Trinity School donor luncheon.
Donations in memory of Joe and Elaine may be made to Trinity School to provide ongoing support for the students in need.
Elaine is survived by son, Dan (Kathy) of Fremont, CA; daughters Cathy (Mark) Myers and Karen (Ed Langlois) all of Portland, OR.
She will be greatly missed by her five grandchildren, Theresa, Janelle and Karen Myers, Andy and Marie Langlois, and her many relatives, friends and neighbors.
She is also survived by a brother, Tom, of Phoenix, AZ, a sister, Teresa, of Spokane, her niece Molly (Lee), their children Ryan, Jack, and Daisy, and numerous other nieces and nephews.
A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, October 24, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 2320 N. Cedar, Spokane.
A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 25, at St. Anthony, with luncheon to follow in the parish hall.
Committal service will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in the mausoleum.
Arrangements entrusted to: