Lillian E. Elias

The service will be livestreamed.

This link will go live 5 to 10 minutes prior to the memorial service

https://vimeo.com/event/5672241/413a89dd2d

Lillian Eleanora Elias, 84, died of leukemia on January 18 at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis.

Lillian was born on August 20, 1941 in Drake, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Wilhelm and Gertrude Bartel. On August 24, 1963 she married Jacob W. Elias and together they enjoyed more than 62 years of marriage.

She is survived by her husband, Jacob; children: Laurel (Mark) Crawford of Sydney, Australia and their daughters, Lily, Eve, and Juliet; Morlin (Juli VanPelt) of Seattle, WA, and their sons, Liam and Craig; and Joylin (John) Ykimoff of Horton, MI, and their children, Amber (Jeffery) Walker and their daughter, Willow, and Tyler and his son, Mac. She is also remembered by a wide circle of extended family, including sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews.

Lillian’s love of children led to an undergraduate degree at Goshen College, a master’s at Indiana University South Bend, and years spent as an elementary, special education and preschool teacher.

At 60, she completed her M.Div. at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and was ordained as pastor of Parkview Mennonite Church in Kokomo, IN where she served for ten years.

Throughout her life, Lillian practiced hospitality by providing meals and opening her home to others. Foster children, international students, visiting pastors, and at-risk youth were all welcome—some stayed for weeks, months, or even years.

Curiosity and creativity shaped her days. She was a lifelong learner and embraced other cultures, notably during months spent on sabbatical in Israel/Palestine and India. Whether stitching quilts for her children and grandchildren, collecting family recipes, assembling family history, or working her way through a stack of library books, Lillian stayed actively engaged.

She walked daily in all weather, continuing this practice until she was admitted to the hospital two weeks before she died.

Visitation will be 9:30 to 10:45 am on Saturday, January 24, at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, 602 South 8th Street, Goshen, followed by a memorial service at 11 am.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee.