Elora Mae Gaidrich

Elora Mae Gaidrich, 92, of Rosburg, Washington, passed away peacefully on January 15, 2020, with her devoted husband at her side. Born in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1927, to Edna Mae and Nick Lowry, Elora is remembered by her loyal and loving husband of 73 years, Edward “Edgie” Gaidrich; her three children, Karen (Joel) Anderson, Mona (Monte) Givens, and Edward Gaidrich; her five grandchildren; and her fifteen great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her brother Dwayne Lowry. Elora grew up in southwest Pennsylvania within a few miles of her future husband, but they didn’t officially meet until she asked him to be her partner at a square dance when she was eighteen. With her mother ever-present as chaperone, they became regular dancing partners, and Ed would happily walk her the three miles up the mountain to her home in hopes that her mother would be far enough ahead or behind to steal a kiss or two. On July 8, 1946, Elora and Ed became lifelong partners when they were married in Lemont Furnace, PA, by a local Justice of the Peace who was also Elora’s uncle. In 1947, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Ed worked for a year before they followed four of Ed’s siblings out to the Pacific Northwest. They arrived in Hoquiam, Washington, in 1949, and several short moves and two daughters later, they settled in Aberdeen where they completed their family with a son. Elora was a devoted mother who enjoyed being at home crafting, cooking, and baking (she was well-known for her garlic pretzels), and she also led Brownie and Girls Scout troops. She was a PTA member, a room mother, and a volunteer with several local groups in the Aberdeen area, including the VFW Cootiettes and Grays Harbor’s hiking club, The Olympians, of which she was a lifelong member. She often went hiking and camping with her husband, and they received their HAM radio operator licenses together. Motorhome trips to Arizona were enjoyed by both of them during their snowbird years and lasting friendships and memories were made during those many trips. In 2011, Elora and Ed moved to Rosburg, Washington. She enjoyed her church family, her friends at Senior Lunch, and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She often provided a lap for great-grandchildren to read from, and she usually had treats on hand. She enjoyed sweets, and was almost as big a fan of banana splits and root beer as she was of the Seattle Mariners baseball team. In later years, she could often be found sitting in a swing with Ed watching her great-grandchildren play or watching the Mariners on her television, often with bowls of popcorn to share with those she loved. A memorial will be held at Valley Bible Church, in Rosburg, Washington, on January 25 at 1 p.m.