Obituary of Elva Lorene Garland

Elva Lorene (Welp) Garland, formerly of Doniphan, died peacefully Tuesday morning, 17 March 2020, under hospice care at Silex Community Care in Silex, Mo. She was 88 years old. Elva was born 2 April 1931 in Vernon, CO to Walter and Wilma (Fagan) Welp. She was baptized at Vernon Lutheran Church. She grew up in northeast Colorado and southwest Nebraska, graduating from McCook (NE) High School in 1949. The family moved to Houston, MO shortly after and Elva went to work as a demonstrator for Advance Aluminum Castings Corporation (makers of Miracle Maid cookware) in Springfield. She worked for them in 1951 and ‘52 before joining the US Navy. After taking the oath of office in St. Louis, she went on to complete basic training at the U. S. Naval Training Center (USNTC) in Bainbridge, MD followed by Commissaryman “A” school at USNTC San Diego, CA. She was then ordered to USNTC Great Lakes for duty. There she met and married a fellow Commissaryman, Petty Officer Paul Garland. Elva was honorably discharged in October 1954. Paul’s career took them to assignments in Norfolk, VA and back to Great Lakes where sons Curtis and Stuart were born. In 1962 Paul was transferred to Cartagena Spain, and Elva and the boys moved to property, Paul and Elva had purchased in anticipation of his retirement from the Navy, outside Doniphan on Ball Park Road. Paul retired in 1966 and went to work for the US Forest Service in Doniphan. Daughter Theresa was born in 1967. Elva was active in PTA, serving in several capacities including President. She was church secretary for Trinity Lutheran Church, a Cub Scout den mother for several years and also served on the Osage District leadership training team. She served in multiple elected and appointed offices in the local Ladies Auxiliary to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3485 and worked her way through the elected offices at the district and state levels, ultimately serving as 15th District President and Missouri State President for the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW. Following Paul’s death fighting a forest fire near Turkey Knob in 1975, Elva supported the family by doing painting and wallpapering in the area. After selling the farm, she served as a live-in health care provider and nanny before eventually settling outside Foley, MO. She continued to work providing home health care for a time before quitting to focus on her grandchildren. Elva enjoyed sewing, embroidering, painting, fishing, and Cardinals baseball; but her greatest enjoyment as she aged was spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Elva was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Wilma; still-born son, Walter; husband, Paul; brother, Melvin Welp; and sister, Arlene. Survivors include sons, Curtis (Lu Ann) and Stuart (Tammy); daughter, Theresa; grandchildren, Tasha, Royce, Kevin, Kelsey, Tyler, and Analise; and 8 great-grandchildren. Visitation for Elva will be Friday, 20 March, from 9:00 am-12:00pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Doniphan. The funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm with the Rev Curtis Garland officiating; burial will follow at Doniphan City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to Trinity Lutheran Church, 801 Ripley 160E-2, Doniphan, MO 63935.