Obituary of Gretalyn Iris Lund Elmen

Gretalyn Iris Lund Elmen January 14, 1916 — September 9, 2014 Woodstock - Gretalyn Iris Lund Elmen, 98, died 9 September 2014, she was born 14 January 1916 in Beverly, Massachusetts to the Rev. Anders Gottfrid and Mrs. Iris Lindblad Lund. Her elementary schooling was in Cranston, R.I., New York City, and Worcester, Mass. Gretalyn was presented with an honorary prize upon her graduation from South High School in Worcester. She received a B.Ed. from Worcester State Teachers College (now Worcester State University) and did graduate work at Clark University, Worcester. She taught school over a span of sixty years, from 1937 to 1997, in Shrewsbury and Lexington, Massachusetts and in Evanston and Kenilworth, Illinois. In her "retirement years," she tutored at Rectory School, Pomfret, Conn., for nineteen years. Her family albums are filled with photographs of her students. Gretalyn married the Rev. Dr. Paul Elmen in 1942. They lived in Evanston, Illinois for over thirty years as Paul was a professor of English Literature at Northwestern University and of Moral Theology at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He predeceased her in 1999. Gretalyn and Paul, children of Swedish immigrants, were fluent in Swedish, and Gretalyn, proud of her Scandinavian heritage, translated several published books from Swedish to English. They travelled frequently, visiting across Europe from Iceland to Turkey with extended stays in Sweden and Great Britain. Gretalyn a lover of learning, enjoyed the theater, reading and book discussions, pristine grammar, crossword puzzles, motherhood, and teaching. She was interested in people, loved to socialize, and would strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Her family and friends remember her as a gracious, witty, well-versed, and vibrant lady. Gretalyn is survived by her daughter, Elisabeth Elmen Levesque, and her husband, Joffre, of Pomfret; by her son, John Elmen, and his wife, Robin Neely, of Cumberland Foreside, Maine; and her grandson, Paul Joffre Levesque and his fiancée, Maureen Holowinski, of Northbrook, Illinois. Two brothers, Rev. Anders Godfrey Lund, Jr. and Rev. Clayton R. Lund, predeceased her. A celebration of life service will be held at Christ Memorial Church, Route 169, Pomfret, CT on October 18, 2014 at 11:00 am. Interment will be a private ceremony in Christ Church Cemetery. There are no calling hours. Memorials may be sent to Christ Church, Box 21, Pomfret, CT 06258 or Rectory School, P.O. Box 68, Pomfret, CT 06258. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam, is in charge of arrangements. "May she rest in Peace." To share a memory with her family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com