Elsie Irene Winkler

Elsie Irene Winkler, age 88, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 11, 2014, in Midway Manor care facility, Uniontown, following an illness of ten months.

Born September 30, 1926, in Hutchinson, Kansas, she was a daughter of Swedish immigrant parents, Karl Oscar and Hilda Marie (nee Johansson) Wallsten. Elsie graduated from high school, worked briefly in Hutchinson's Reno County Courthouse and later met and fell in love with a young Navy serviceman, Thurman Eugene Winkler, who was stationed there in Kansas. The two were married on May 13, 1945. Shortly thereafter, Elsie and Thurman moved to Wadsworth in Ohio, and later to Loudonville, where they owned a farm for many years.

Elsie was a hard-working, loving and devoted homemaker and farmwife who was always resourceful and self-sufficient. Her family has fond memories of her home-made grape juice, ketchup, apple butter and cottage cheese, as well as the produce from her garden. Additionally, Elsie raised chickens, pigs and beef cattle. She was a great cook and baker, and was known for her pies. Elsie made candy and cookies to be given at Christmas, was a talented seamstress, crocheted doilies, knitted afghans, embroidered, and braided many, many rugs for home use and gifts.

Survivors include her daughter Karen Irene (husband, Brian) Cave of Zoar; her son, Karl Albert (wife, Debbie) Winkler of Uniontown; her seven grandchildren, Elsa, Sarah, Brian Jr. (wife, Deena) and Chris (wife, Angie) Cave, Jessica (husband, Julio) Mendoza, Lindsey and Nicholas Winkler; her four great-grandchildren, Preston Cave, Justin, Francis and Mateo Mendoza; and her sister-in-law, Britta Sigurdsson of Sweden.

In addition to her parents, Elsie was preceded in death by her husband, Thurman, on April 30, 2001; her sister and brother-in-law, Ann and Joe Wynn; her half-sister and her husband, Mah-Lis and Karl Ahlqvist; and her half-brother, Lennart Sigurdsson.

Family and friends are invited to call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, Dover, Tuesday, November 18, 10 11 a.m. A funeral service, officiated by Elsie's family, will follow at 11. Burial will be private in New Philadelphia's Evergreen Burial Park. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Elsie, please visit the Obituaries and Flowers link on the Toland-Herzig website.

The family suggests that contributions in Elsie's memory be made to Crossroads Hospice, 3743 Boettler Oaks Dr., Green, Ohio 44685.