Elsie Gertrude Fleming Rader

Lima

Elsie Gertrude Fleming Rader, 84, died at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009, at Golden Living Center, where she had been a resident since June 2004. She succumbed after a long struggle against Alzheimer’s disease.

She was born March 23, 1925, in Jackson Township, near Lafayette, to John Wesley and Bertha Louisa Binkley Fleming, who preceded her in death. On Dec. 29, 1951, she married Wayne Roger Rader, who died Feb. 18, 2008.

Mrs. Rader was a teacher before her marriage and again when her children were all in school. She taught at Lafayette-Jackson, Liberty Benton, Whittier Elementary and Kinder Kottage Preschool. She graduated from Lafayette-Jackson High School and attended Bowling Green State University.

She was well-known for her volunteerism. She had been active in the PTA, American Heart Association, Lutheran Church Women, Church Women United, and Blue Star Mothers, in which she held several local, district and national offices, including Ohio and national president. In 1988 and again in 1995, she laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. She was given the PTA Founders Day Award, Soroptimist Woman of the Year 1978, and LaSertoma Woman of the Year 1990. She was a longtime member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, and had been very active in church activities, including church choir, Women’s Church Circles and Altar Guild.

She was always willing to help other people. She had looked after several elderly neighbors and did many canning, baking, cooking and craft projects to help support her family, church and organizations to which she belonged. Yet, she always had time for her family. She was a loving wife of 56 years, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Survivors include eight children, Elayne (Tim) Redding, Miriam Rader-Downing, Philip (Mary) Rader Sr., Rachael Lewis, all of Lima, John (Betty) Rader, of Parma, Timothy (Beverly) Rader, of Elida, Mary (fiancé Tom Glick) Evans, of Lima, and Mark (Lori) Rader, of Spencerville; 19 grandchildren; six stepgrandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; nine stepgreat-grandchildren; three sisters, Gladys Wagner, of Findlay, Betty Hawk, of Lafayette, and Jean (Dan) Holyoak, of Moab, Utah; a sister-in-law, Evelyn Fleming; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

She was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Linda A. Rader; 11 siblings, Walter (Barbara) Fleming, Clarence (Geneva, Anna) Fleming, Ralph (Edna) Fleming, Guy (Ruth) Fleming, Gerald (Dorothy) Fleming, Helen Fleming, Lester Fleming, Dorothy (Robert) Lambrecht, Edith (Paul) Stager, Mabel Fleming and infant Stella Mae Fleming; and two brothers-in-law, Charles Wagner and Richard Hawk.

Services will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Lutheran Church. Pastor Lars Olson will officiate. Burial will be in Desenberg Cemetery, Lafayette.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Chiles-Laman Funeral Homes, Lewis Eastside Chapel.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke Lutheran Church, the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Heart Association.