Memorials › Elaine Ada Uecker Moyer

Elaine Ada Uecker Moyer

31 Aug 1924 – 17 Mar 2021

Birth31 Aug 1924
Death17 Mar 2021
CemeteryNorthern California Veterans Cemetery
Igo , Shasta County , California , USA
Added byMary J Griswold on 06 Sep 2021
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/227483186

Bio

Elaine Moyer Redding - Aug. 31, 1924 - March 17, 2021 Elaine Moyer, a Nebraska native and longtime Redding resident known for her compassion, wit and energy, passed peacefully on March 17, 2021, at River Commons Senior Living. She was 96. Elaine was born Aug. 31, 1924, on a five-acre farm in northeast Nebraska. She was one of five children delivered to Roy and Rebecca "Kathryn" Uecker. Like many who were members of the "Greatest Generation," Elaine's upbringing was marked with challenges: She was 5 when the Depression hit and 8 when her father died. Not soon after, Dust Bowl conditions made life extra difficult on the farm and by the time she was 13, the faint rumblings of the looming World War II could be heard. After graduating high school at age 16, Elaine left to live with an aunt and uncle near Omaha and started work at a Ben Franklin store for the princely sum of $13 a week. In an excerpt from David Sudhalter's "America's Living Treasures," Elaine recalled with excitement the opportunity to purchase two pair of silk stockings for 29 cents each—a prized acquisition with war rationing underway. Elaine and her older sister, Luthera, moved to Los Angeles in 1943 to live with an aunt, sharing a home three blocks from the intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Elaine landed a job administering payroll at a publicist's office and later went to work for the famous producer Samuel Goldwyn. She soon went to work at Bank of America, an occupation she maintained for 41 years, working her way up to a management position when women were mostly relegated to clerical and administrative positions. She met her husband, Ray, after his honorable discharge from the Army Air Corps and the pair were married in 1947. Elaine is recalled as a terrific host who turned every holiday into a memorable event. She seemed to shine the brightest at Christmas and Thanksgiving, providing thoughtful gifts and preparing resplendent meals. She was an expert gardener and a thoughtful and productive knitter who created priceless quilts and afghans for her loved ones. "She used every stitch known in quilting. She was a perfectionist in that way," recalled a niece. Her 60-year marriage to Ray served as an inspiration as well. "She and Ray absolutely got along. They loved each other and supported each other. It was a witness to me how a marriage should look," a nephew said. A job transfer brought the couple to Redding in 1967, where they both continued their volunteerism. They both were active with the Mercy Medical Center Guild. Elaine volunteered in the gift shop, helped organize the car seat rental program for new moms and served as the Guild's controller for nine years. After her own cancer surgery, she switched to Mercy's Cancer Treatment Center where she provided comfort to patients and assisted with transportation and other needs. "She was very low-key without a lot of pomp and circumstance," her nephew recalled. "She was a very practical person and she was very generous. She had a heart of gold." The perseverance Elaine exhibited during her upbringing formed her character and it manifested itself in her volunteering and kindness to strangers, he added. A niece said Elaine was a role model throughout her life: "Her kindness and also her morality always made me see how important it was to truly treat others as I would want to be treated, not to mention her honesty." As per her wishes, no services are planned.

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