Elaine Margaret Stringham Woolfenden

Our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, wife and wonderful friend, Elaine Margaret Stringham Woolfenden passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at the age of 86. Her journey on this earth began being born at home in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 23, 1927 as the first child of Emma Schreiner and Chariton Josiah Stringham. Elaine married her eternal love Seymour Reynolds (Ike) Woolfenden on November 8, 1946 in the Salt Lake City Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They were sealed by Ike's Uncle, at the time an apostle, President Joseph Fielding Smith. They were married 33 years when her beloved "Ike" died of heart disease. Elaine was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a strong testimony of it's truthfulness. She was a member of the Country Club Ward for 60 years where she served in numerous Stake and Ward leadership and teaching positions including Ward and Stake Relief Society President, Young women's presidency and many others. Elaine and Ike had four children Michael George (Susan), Don Patrick (Sallie), Leigh Price(Patrick) and John Charles (Rachel) with 22 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. In her youth she attended design and tailoring classes and learned to work with most any medium. With her skills she would design and produce patterns then create beautiful works of art for family and others. Her skills included designing and creating beautiful clothes, beautiful quilts, knitting sweaters, crocheting hats and receiving blankets. She shared her talents and passed on her skills to her granddaughters. She filled her days doing handiwork, sewing, cross-stitch, knitting, crocheting or quilting things that were always for others. Besides being a wife and mother, she worked many years of her life as a court transcriber and also as a legal secretary. She was a founding member and leader of the Central Phoenix Interfaith Council and served as executive secretary for several years. The council brought many faiths together to work on civic and spiritual issues in the central Phoenix area for many years. Elaine had a passion for music and sang in many well known choirs, including the Central Arizona Mormon choir, of which she was a founding member, Bel Canto, a women's musical group in the 50s and 60s and a group called Singing Mothers. She participated in many church and civic theater productions as performer, director and producer. Continuing her passion even until recently, one of her church positions was Stake Choir Librarian. She passed on this passion and love of music to her children. In her later years she promised her mother that she would continue her work of Family History and Genealogy. She worked tirelessly on her family line, but also included extended family and friends. If anyone would ask, she would spend time to instruct them on the probable best avenues to find a lost family member to complete their search. She taught herself to navigate public records including census records. She enjoyed scrolling through family lines hoping to find a lost morsel of information to complete a record. She was also very active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. An organization dedicated to the preservation of the History and heritage of the Utah Pioneers. Widowed for 34 years, she had a remarkable positive attitude, always a big smile on her face, hugs and kisses to share with so many. Elaine was known for her spirit, her wisdom, her empathy and her many talents. Her influence and love was spread far and wide. She always had a grateful heart and was generous with the things she had been blessed with in this life. She was best known as Nana by her family. Elaine was preceded in death by her Father, Mother, Brother Chariton (Carol) Stringham, Husband and two sons, Michael George, and Don Patrick. She is survived by four brothers, George (Jean), Frank (Julie), David (Kathy) and Robert (Joan) Stringham, and two children Leigh (Patrick) Price and John Charles (Rachel) Woolfenden. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, 2013, at the Country Club Ward, 1316 East Cheery Lynn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Prior to the funeral services on Saturday, a viewing will be held from 9:30 - 10:40 a.m. at the same building where friends and family may visit. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, 2300 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85009. The family would like to thank all the staff of Hospice of the Valley for the thoughtful, kind and very professional care Elaine received and for their kindness to the family as well.