Elsie Marie Eisenbraun, 98, of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, Ind., passed away on at 12:05 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at Grace Village Healthcare.

She was born in China on Jan. 9, 1915, to Henry Cornelius Bartel and Nellie (Schmidt) Bartel, a child of missionary parents. She came to the U.S. and completed her college education at Wheaton College in Illinois. She returned to China after World War II, where she met and married Pastor Max Eisenbraun on Aug. 31, 1947. He preceded her in death in 1985.

Elsie was a resident of Kosciusko County, Ind., for the past 34 years where she was a homemaker, and a member of Pleasant View Bible Church of Warsaw, Ind.

Moving to the U.S. in 1949, she served as a pastor’s wife at a number of churches in the Midwest. She taught elementary school for several years prior to retiring to Warsaw, in 1979.

She will be lovingly remembered by her five sons: James (Merna) Eisenbraun, Warsaw; Paul (Maria) Eisenbraun, Austin, Texas; David (Debbie) Eisenbraun, St. Louis, Mo.; Tom (Kim) Eisenbraun, Colorado Springs, Colo.; John (Laurie) Eisenbraun, Union Lake, Mich.; two daughters: Hedy Eisenbraun Reese, Harrisonburg, Va.; Ruth (Tom) Kinney, Redstone, Colo.; 11 grandchildren: Johanna (Allan) Graves; Gabriel Eisenbraun; Ben (Anna) Eisenbraun; Elizabeth (Trey) Bryant; Emily, Jessica, and Sara Reese; Andy (Holly) Eisenbraun; Joe (Susannah) Eisenbraun; Max Eisenbraun; Robert (Anna) Eisenbraun; and her brother: Jonathan (Alice) Bartel, Salida, Colo.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two brothers and one sister.

No viewing is planned. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Grace Village Chapel at Grace Village Retirement Community, 337 Grace Village Drive, Winona Lake, and will be officiated by her son, Jim Eisenbraun. A private graveside service will be held at a later date at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw.

Memorial donations in Elsie’s name may be directed to the Mission Agency of your choosing, and would be appreciated by her family.