Obituaries
Elizabeth C Read
02/27/2010
Elizabeth Read, 92, of Luther Manor Apartments, died Saturday, Feb. 27, at Luther Manor Nursing Home.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 5, at Luther Manor, 3131 Hillcrest Road, with the Rev. Greg Bjornstad, of Luther Manor, and the Rev. Dianne Christopher, of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, officiating. Friends may call after 1:30 p.m. at Luther Manor. A reception will follow in the main-floor parlor at the Luther Manor Apartments. The Egelhof Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2659 Kennedy Road, is in charge of arrangements.
She was born Elizabeth Ann Clapp on May 27, 1917, in Dixon, Ill., daughter of Archibald M. Clapp and Bernice Catherine Farrell Clapp. She lived in Dubuque since 1945.
Elizabeth combined professional, community and family life with joyful commitment. After graduating from Grinnell College in 1938, she became editor of the Elizabeth (Ill.) Weekly News. She served for 12 years as secretary to the department of psychology at the University of Dubuque and for 10 years as executive secretary to Dubuque's superintendent of schools.
She was an active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and was deeply engaged with St. Luke's Church.
Most important to Elizabeth was her family, including not only her husband and her son, but also her sister, Frances Hubbard, and Frances' four children. The Read-Hubbard families shared a household on Grandview Ave. for most of the 1950s. Later, the lights of her life were her two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Elizabeth took pride in having worked with her husband, Lelan Read, building their own house on Jeffrey Drive.
Surviving are her son, W. Charles Read, and daughter-in-law Helen Read, of Madison, Wis.; her grandchildren, Benjamin Lelan Read, of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Emily Elizabeth Davies, of Arlington, Va., and their spouses, Yingwei Qi and Rob Davies; her great-grandchildren, Maxton, Tess and Lauren Davies, of Arlington; her dear nieces and nephew, Mary Louise and Floyd Wharton, of Mount Holly, N.J., Suzanne Hubbard, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Steven and Ann Hubbard, of Fairview, Texas, will miss her greatly; also remembering her are her sisters-in-law, Bernice Read, of Rockford, Ill., and Cathryn Read, of Dubuque.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Lelan E. Read, and by her sisters, Frances Hubbard and Bernice Dailey.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Luke's United Methodist Church or to the Luther Manor Retirement Community.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com
Memorial Messages
Message from: joe link
Sincere sympathies to the Read family on the loss of Elizabeth. She was a wonderful polished lady with considerable business skills and handled people in a capable and considerate manner in her position with the Dubuque Community School District as Secretary to Superintendent Dr. Howard Pigg. I served as Executive Director of Finance and Business Services for the District from 1966 through 2002 so I often worked with her during her 10 years with the District and she was a dedicated employee who loved her job and the people with whom she served and her fellow workers. I remember that Lee frequently if not every day picked her up from work and I have very pleasant memories of Elizabeth and Lee enjoying some of the summer employee picnics and especially the annual Administration Building Christmas Party. You can be proud of your parents. They certainly were professional and honorable people in every sense of the words. My prayers and thoughts are with you in the time of your loss.
Joe Link
Message from: Howard Pigg
I would like to extend my sympathy to the family and friends of Elizabeth Read. I was fortunate to work with her for the years she was employed by the Dubuque Community Schools. She served as my secretary during this time and was extremely helpful to me as the new Superintendent for the Dubuque Community Schools. Her pleasant personality and positive attitude was appreciated by all personnel and her knowledge and experience provided me much needed support. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity of knowing and working with this wonderful lady.
Howard Pigg
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