Elaine Elizabeth Rasmussen, the daughter of Hans C. and Lydia (Madsen) Miller, was born April 23, 1929, in rural Guthrie County, Iowa, and joined her family and friends in heaven on December 23, 2023, at the Exira Care Center in Exira, Iowa at the age of 94 years and 8 months.
Elaine was baptized at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, Iowa, and confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. She attended Audubon County rural schools where she rode her favorite horse, Prince, to school every day, then graduated from the Audubon High School with the Class of 1948. Following graduation, she was employed at the bakery in Audubon.
On October 26, 1948, she was united in marriage to Raynold Howard Rasmussen at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They honeymooned in eastern Iowa and one night they had trouble finding lodging and ended up spending the night in a funeral home for $2.00 for the night. Elaine and Raynold were blessed with five children Sherri, Debra, Julie, Kristi, and David. They lived at Evergreen Corner and later at Chris Davidson’s farm in Guthrie County. In March of 1956, they bought a farm west of Exira and lived there until 2009. Elaine had always wanted to be a teacher and enjoyed teaching Bible And Sunday school. As her children were growing up she was a Campfire leader and a Cub Scout leader. Elaine always had a large garden and enjoyed canning all the fresh produce she grew. She worked at the Corner Mart for five years and in 1978 started working for the U.S. Postal Service as a clerk at the Brayton Post Office and worked for 27 years. Raynold died on September 3, 2009. Elaine lived on the farm for a short time then moved into Exira. She enjoyed her home and then later moved to the Exira Care Center.
Elaine was an active member of the Exira Lutheran Church. She was an accomplished seamstress, sewed many of her children’s clothes, and made beautiful baby quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Elaine loved horses and spending time at the lake in and on the water then playing cards. She was a member of the Red Hats Society and numerous card party groups her favorite being the 6-pack club. Elaine spent many hours enjoying coffee and playing cards at the Senior Center. But most of all she loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Preceding her in death was her husband Raynold Howard Rasmussen; her son David Howard Rasmussen; her son-in-law Larry Faga; her parents; her sister Rozelle Madison; her father-in-law and mother-in-law Knud and Karen (Jorgensen) Rasmussen; and her brothers-in-law Bruno Lauritsen, Harold Madison, Don Rose, Leroy Rasmussen, Don and wife Gwen Rasmussen and Lloyd Rasmussen.
Survivors include her four daughters: Sherri Faga of Panora, Iowa, and special friend Dwight Jessen of Exira, Iowa, Debra and husband Keith Fahn and Julie and husband Jim Hoffman all of Carroll, Iowa and Kristi and husband Steve Reed of Genoa, Nebraska; her five grandchildren Cindy Marchese of Urbandale, Iowa, Chad Sorensen of Exira, Iowa, Ben Fahn of Carroll, Iowa, Jessica and husband Danny Miller of Ankeny, Iowa, and Jennifer and husband Travis Mollhoff of Carroll, Iowa; 14 great-grandchildren; her sister Wanda Rose of Omaha, Nebraska; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family will greet friends on Thursday evening, December 28, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa. The funeral service will be conducted by Pastor Cece Mickells on Friday morning, December 29, 2023, at 10:30 p.m. at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. Interment will be in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery west of Exira. The honorary casket bearers will be the Red Hat Society. The casket bearers will be Dawsen Sorensen, Chad Sorensen, Ben Fahn, Danny Miller, Dustin Distefano, Caden Mollhoff, Tyler Mollhoff, and Austin Mollhoff.
