Elsa Wiltsey

Elsa Wiltsey, of Crosslake, died Thursday, October 25, 2012 at Golden Horizons Assisted Living. Services for Elsa will be held at 1:00 PM, Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at Crosslake Lutheran Church with Pastor Greg Larsen officiating. Family and friends are invited to gather one hour prior to services. Interment will take place at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at Groveland Cemetery near Deep Haven, MN.

Elsa Inegard Hallgren Wiltsey was born June 30, 1918 in Eksharad Forshaga Varmlands, Sweden, the daughter of Anna Maria (Bach) and Axel Harold Olefson Hallgren. Elsa had two sisters - older sister, Sonja and younger sister, Lee (Lisa) - who were also born in Swenden. Their brother, Lloyd was born in the United States. On June 29, 1923, the family left Sweden on a ship named Slavangafjord, docked in Oslo, Norway. Elsa had a fifth birthday on the second day out to sea. The family arrived on Ellis Island on July 7, 1923 and settled in Duluth, MN where the girls started school. By the following spring the girls - Sonja and Elsa - were teaching their parents English and the family stopped speaking Swedish at home. Elsa attended Irving School, Aneota School, and later graduated from Denfeld High School in 1936. She lost her only brother in 1944 when his ship, USS Hoel, was sunk by the Japanese. She worked in the Duluth Hospital for a time and numerous secretarial positions. While working, she met Donald Wiltsey and they married June 4, 1944 in Berkeley, CA, where he was working at that time. They had one daughter, Sandra. They moved back to Minnesota and settled in Excelsior in 1950 where they lived until 1977 when they retired to their cabin in Crosslake. They wintered in Mesa, AZ for eight years.

In 1956, Elsa was the first woman in Hennepin County to hold elected public office - being elected clerk of the township of Excelsior, which was later incorporated into the Village of Shorewood and then City of Shorewood. She held the position of Administrator/City Clerk/Treasurer until her retirement in 1980. In 1967, she took a two year leave from the position to assist Don in Stillwater where he was currently working and in poor health. During those two years before returning to the City of Shorewood, Elsa was City Clerk for Greenwood.

Elsa was a member of the Crosslake Lutheran Church and the Crosslake American Legion Auxiliary. She was proud to be the first female recipient of the Jaycees "Man of the Year" Award. She was also a former member of the League of Women Voters and a MN Certified Municipal Clerk.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and Axel Hallgren; husband, Donald Wiltsey; sisters, Sonja (Les) Schaich and Lee (Roy) Anderson; brother, Lloyd Hallgren; sons-in-law, Darryl Arnold and Jerald Nyberg; and grandchildren, Brian Arnold, Shelli Arnold, and Nancy Nyberg.

She is survived by her daughter, Sandra (Stuart) Schmid; step-daughter, Marilyn Nyberg; grandchildren, Brad Arnold, Carl (Sheri) Nyberg, Ruth (Steve) Ralph, Donald Nyberg, and Theresa (Jarad) Agerter; great-grandchildren, Brittany Arnold, Lindsey Arnold, Brian Nyberg, Matt Nyberg, Jack Ralph, Alec Ralph, Merissa Agerter and Rachal Agerter; great-great-grandchild, Bentley (Arnold) Hanes; sister-in-law, Vivian Kalton; special friend, Elynn; and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

A special thanks to those at Heartwood in Crosby and Golden Horizons in Crosslake.

Memorials preferred to Crosslake Lutheran Church and the Crosslake American Legion, Post 500.