Elizabeth Clara Ladd

Elizabeth Clara (Wiederkehr) Ladd got her final wish to go “Beyond The Sunset”, one of her favorite songs. She passed away surrounded by her family, on January 15th, 2021 in her son's home, where she has resided for the last 13 years. She was born in Stryker, Ohio on May 25, 1921, the daughter of Benjamin J. and Clara E. (Weber) Wiederkehr. In 1925, she moved with her family to Adrian, Michigan. After attending several area churches, she along with her parents and a small group of people started the South Branch Chapel, now the Berean Baptist Church in 1942 at the corner of Main and Beecher. She was the pianist and first organist and the last living charter member of the church. It was at this church she met the love of her life Earnest L. Ladd and they were married there on February 1, 1947. In 1954, they felt God’s call to go to Ridgeville Bible Church (now Jasper Bible Church) to run the music program there. After doing a duel music program for a few months in early 1955 with the Brotherhood Tabernacle in Adrian, they soon realized they could only do one and stayed at the Tabernacle to assist with their live Sunday morning worship service on WABJ until the church closed in the early 1960s. They then took a hiatus from music for a few years while attending Clayton Bible Church. In 1965, they moved to their farm on US 127 in Waldron and started attending Prattville Community Church, where she served as a deaconess, mission board member, and treasurer for many years. After purchasing an organ in 1974, she was the organist for over 40 years. In addition, she served as the treasurer on the Board of Child Evangelism Fellowship in Lenawee County in the 1970s and early 1980s. She attended Adrian Public Schools where she graduated in 1939. As she has told us many times, after graduation, her college education consisted of working for a lawyer in Adrian for $5.00 per week. In the 1940s, she was one of three office personnel at Emma L. Bixby Hospital in Adrian where she worked when Pearl Harbor was bombed. In the 1950s she was a bookkeeper at Gordon Burgess Bookkeeping in Adrian. While working here, you would find her every Tuesday in the office at Adrian Livestock Auction where she frequently closed out the sale. The early 1960’s brought her to Everiss Funeral Home where she was a funeral planner, bookkeeper, and organist. After moving to Waldron, in the late 1960’s, she was secretary and bookkeeper for the superintendent at Waldron Area Schools. After this, the 1970s and early 1980s brought her back to the now Everiss-Wagley Funeral Home doing the same as before. In addition to this, she ran Ladd’s Bookkeeping and Income Tax Service out of her Waldron residence for over 40 years. Even as busy as she was, her family always came first. She and Earnest always made sure their kids and later grandchildren and great-grandchildren always had fun. She always told us that her dad and mom never let her fry an egg or do dishes, she just needed to play the piano. This was probably true, but she baked a lot of cookies and pies for all of us when she could. Many times she would mix up 5 or 6 batches of cookies and then bake them all. A highlight of her life began when she was doing the books for Adrian Pools (Marshall Matson). He had special ordered a pool liner for a client. When they went to install it, there was some sort of issue and it couldn’t be done. She jokingly asked him what he was going to do with it? He said “I am going to put it in your yard”. So, on July 4th,1977, they started getting ready to have the pool installed. Over the years her family and hundreds of others have swam in that pool. Even today her grandson Joe and his family are custodians of the pool and continue the tradition of sharing the pool with others. Grandma and Grandpa’s home was always a beacon for others, including broken down vehicles. The list, though not inclusive, included a tour bus, a motorcycle club, and many individuals. Dad would always warn her to be careful who she let in the door, but she continued to let them in and ask questions later. They also traveled to many local restaurants within a 50 mile radius and lived their faith while they witnessed to many waitresses and patrons. After her husband passed away, while she could still drive, she continued this ministry and many times had her meal paid for. She is survived by her sons, Stephen (Dixie) Ladd of Waldron and Mark (Janet) Ladd of Bryan, Ohio. Her grandsons Matthew (Vicki) Ladd of Cuba, Missouri, Joseph (Erin) Ladd of Waldron and Nicholas (Shari) Ladd of Hesston, Kansas. Her granddaughters and twice-daily caregivers since March of 2020 Amanda (Donald) Achenbach of Waldron and Tina Ladd of Adrian. Additionally, she is survived by 14 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandsons, one step great grandson and one step great great grandson, and a special grandson Brent (Holly) Leininger of Waldron and their six children, who gave her a hug every Sunday morning after church. A sister-in-law Helen Bennett of Adrian, brother-in-laws Richard Ladd of Tennessee and Dan Ladd of Kentucky, and countless other nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of nearly 65 years Earnest on September 30, 2011, her youngest son John Earnest Ladd at the age of 2 (1954), and her oldest grandson Michael Stephen Ladd at 19 (1989). In addition, her siblings Ruth Shrader, Margaret Diller-Abshire and Wayne Wiederkehr. Funeral services will take place at 1:30 p.m., Friday, January 22, 2021 at Prattville Community Church with her grandson, Pastor Nicholas Ladd officiating. Burial will follow at Tedrow Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:30 – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, January 21, 2021, at Prattville Community Church and again Friday at the church from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers donate to Prattville Community Church or Hospice of Lenawee. Arrangements have been entrusted to Wagley Funeral Home where online condolences and memories may be shared at www.WagleyFuneralHomes.com. Elizabeth's Memorial Slideshow is available to view by clicking the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_zPUhA8XAY The slideshow may also be viewed on her Tribute Wall in the "Photos & Video" Tab.

Elizabeth Clara Ladd

May 25, 1921 - January 15, 2021