1916
Elzina
2015
Elzina Caroline Oakberg
June 7, 1916 — January 10, 2015
Elzina C. Oakberg, 98, of Rock Island, IL, died Saturday, January 10, 2015, at Friendship Manor - Silver Cross Health Care Center, Rock Island, IL.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 15, 2015, at First Evangelical Free Church, 3321- 7th Street, Moline, IL. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. at Riverside Cemetery, Moline. Memorials may be made to First Evangelical Free Church Missions.
Elzina Caroline Oakberg was born to Gustav and Lela Oakberg in Owen, Wisconsin, on June 7, 1916.
She received her public school education in Owen, Wisconsin; Oneida, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa. In 1945 she was graduated from the Free Church Bible Institute and Seminary in Chicago; and in 1948 from Wheaton College. She received her M.S. in educational administration from the University of Iowa in 1963.
Miss Oakberg was a lifetime member of First Evangelical Free Church in Moline, where over the years she served in various capacities--Christian education director, parish visitor, counselor, teacher, and secretary. She also served in the Sunday school, on the long-range planning and missions committees, and with the women's ministries. In addition she sang in the choir, with the Radio Choristers, and in small ensembles.
She was also employed as the Christian education director at the First Evangelical Free Church (Summerdale) in Chicago.
At the denominational level, Miss Oakberg served as the executive secretary of the Free Church Youth Fellowship and was a member of the Free Church Sunday School Board for ten years.
She was employed as a secretary at Strieter Motor Company and at Occidental Life Insurance Company, both in Davenport. She also worked at Strombeck Press in Moline as the secretary to the president, as the CHRISTLIFE MAGAZINE editor, and as the secretary for the Christian Service Foundation for 44 years.
Her career in public education included being a teacher and the principal at the elementary school in Hampton, Illinois and a sixth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Moline. For 17 years she was the secretary of the negotiations committee of the Moline School District. She was a lifetime member of the National Education Association; also a member of Pi Lambda Theta and Delta Kappa Gamma, honorary educational organizations.
Miss Oakberg did extensive traveling abroad-in Colombia and Venezuela, South America; drove through 17 countries of Europe; in U.S.S.R.; and spent a summer in the Orient, traveling through seven countries. She also visited mission fields of the Free Church in Venezuela, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Her most interesting trips were to Israel, where she went five times, including one summer doing graduate work.
Surviving are brother-in-law Harland McLaughlin, of East Moline, and a number of nieces and nephews, cousins, and many friends. She was preceded in death by four sisters-Evelyn Kueng, Verda Butts, Merle Oleson and Naomi McLaughlin.
The family appreciates the care and support of the staff at Friendship Manor, Rock Island, where Miss Oakberg lived for 19 years, and the staff of Hospice Compassus who also administered to her needs so well during her last days.
Online condolences may be left for her family by visiting esterdahl.com.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 15, 2015, at First Evangelical Free Church, 3321- 7th Street, Moline, IL. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. at Riverside Cemetery, Moline. Memorials may be made to First Evangelical Free Church Missions.
Elzina Caroline Oakberg was born to Gustav and Lela Oakberg in Owen, Wisconsin, on June 7, 1916.
She received her public school education in Owen, Wisconsin; Oneida, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa. In 1945 she was graduated from the Free Church Bible Institute and Seminary in Chicago; and in 1948 from Wheaton College. She received her M.S. in educational administration from the University of Iowa in 1963.
Miss Oakberg was a lifetime member of First Evangelical Free Church in Moline, where over the years she served in various capacities--Christian education director, parish visitor, counselor, teacher, and secretary. She also served in the Sunday school, on the long-range planning and missions committees, and with the women's ministries. In addition she sang in the choir, with the Radio Choristers, and in small ensembles.
She was also employed as the Christian education director at the First Evangelical Free Church (Summerdale) in Chicago.
At the denominational level, Miss Oakberg served as the executive secretary of the Free Church Youth Fellowship and was a member of the Free Church Sunday School Board for ten years.
She was employed as a secretary at Strieter Motor Company and at Occidental Life Insurance Company, both in Davenport. She also worked at Strombeck Press in Moline as the secretary to the president, as the CHRISTLIFE MAGAZINE editor, and as the secretary for the Christian Service Foundation for 44 years.
Her career in public education included being a teacher and the principal at the elementary school in Hampton, Illinois and a sixth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Moline. For 17 years she was the secretary of the negotiations committee of the Moline School District. She was a lifetime member of the National Education Association; also a member of Pi Lambda Theta and Delta Kappa Gamma, honorary educational organizations.
Miss Oakberg did extensive traveling abroad-in Colombia and Venezuela, South America; drove through 17 countries of Europe; in U.S.S.R.; and spent a summer in the Orient, traveling through seven countries. She also visited mission fields of the Free Church in Venezuela, the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Her most interesting trips were to Israel, where she went five times, including one summer doing graduate work.
Surviving are brother-in-law Harland McLaughlin, of East Moline, and a number of nieces and nephews, cousins, and many friends. She was preceded in death by four sisters-Evelyn Kueng, Verda Butts, Merle Oleson and Naomi McLaughlin.
The family appreciates the care and support of the staff at Friendship Manor, Rock Island, where Miss Oakberg lived for 19 years, and the staff of Hospice Compassus who also administered to her needs so well during her last days.
Online condolences may be left for her family by visiting esterdahl.com.
Visitation Details
Thursday, January 15th, 2015, 10:00am - 11:00am, First Evangelical Free Church
Service Details
Thursday, January 15th, 2015, 11:00am, First Evangelical Free Church
Interment Details
Riverside Cemetery
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