Elaine M. (Hoff) Severson, age 89, died peacefully on Feb. 12, 2021, at Harrison Home in Cedarburg, Wis.
Elaine was born in Ogema, Wis, on Feb. 1, 1932, to Olaf and Ruby (Anderson) Hoff. She was the third of their four children. Elaine attended Ogema Grade School and graduated from Westboro High School as the proud valedictorian of her senior class. While roller skating in Spirit with her friends, she met James Severson, a student at Tripoli High School. They fell in love, and Jim overcame his shyness to ask Ole for his daughter’s hand. On June 2, 1951, Elaine and Jim were married at First Lutheran Church in Ogema.
The newlyweds moved to Evanston, Ill., where their first child, Kristen Kay, was born. A few years later, they moved to Milwaukee, Wis., and had their second child, Randall James. They remained small-town people at heart and frequently visited family up north. They were married for nearly 46 years until Jim’s passing in 1997. Elaine continued to live in her house in Milwaukee until 2018, when she moved to Harrison Home, an assisted living facility in Cedarburg close to her son, Randy. Their amazing staff cared for her until her death.
Elaine loved her life, including her family and lifelong friends, her cats, Priscilla and Corey, and the Green Bay Packers. As the daughter of a Norwegian immigrant, she was especially proud of her Scandinavian heritage and she took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Elaine will be especially remembered for her happiness and her smile, which she shared with everyone around her even when her health declined.
Elaine is survived by her children, Kristen (Daniel) Fox, of Kenosha, Wis., and Randall (fiancé Sheri) Severson of Cedarburg. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, her sisters, Norma and Myrtle, her brother, Junior, and her niece, Juanita.
Funeral services and celebration of Elaine’s life will be held in the spring when she can be buried next to Jim at Spirit-Hillcrest Cemetery. Generations Funeral Home & Crematory of Tomahawk, Wis., is assisting the family. Memorials in Elaine’s name may be sent to First Lutheran Church, W4950 State Highway 86, Ogema.