Elaine A. Schwarz

Elaine A. Schwarz
ELAINE AUDREY SCHWARZ, age 96 of Waseca died on Sunday, February 21, 2016 at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.
Born on October 9, 1919 in Crosby, Minnesota, she was the daughter of Charles and Hannah (Berglund) Peterson.  She graduated from Mora High School in 1936 and St. Olaf College in 1940.   Mrs. Schwarz went on to receive her MS from Mankato State University.  Following graduation, she taught in Pemberton, Gaylord and Mora and worked at the Minneapolis Star Tribune during WWII.
On November 24, 1945 she married Merton Schwarz.  While in Waseca, Mrs. Schwarz taught at the Southern School of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota, Waseca until her retirement in 1982.
Mrs. Schwarz was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and was organist and accompanist for the choir for more than 30 years.  She was also accompanist for the Waseca Chorale.
She is survived by her husband, Merton of Waseca; three children, John Schwarz of Aztec, NM, Katie Ryan and her husband, Lee of Santa Clarita, CA and Ann Schwarz of Minneapolis.  She is also survived by six grandchildren, Ben Schwarz and his wife Adriane, Matthew Schwarz, James Coleman, Hannah Fairman and her husband, Mike, Josiah Coleman and his wife, Angela Sheehan, and Joseph Ryan; three great grandchildren, Blake and Emerson Schwarz and Boden Fairman; and several nieces and nephews.   She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, James Peterson and Charles Peterson. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11:00 AM at Grace Lutheran Church in Waseca.   Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church.   Burial will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.