Elaine Marie (Reining) Newstrom, Age 86 of Crystal/New Hope, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2020, with her husband of 66 years, Richard and her daughter Mary by her side. She was born on September 22, 1933 in Adrian, MN during the height of the Great Depression. Her family spent several years there before relocating to a farm near Belgrade. During her humble childhood, money was tight. She never forgot the value of a dollar and lived accordingly, becoming a world-class coupon enthusiast. Elaine graduated from Belgrade High School in 1951, shaking the dust from her feet and soon thereafter moving to the bright lights and big city of Minneapolis; Belgrade was simply too small to hold her dreams. In 1953 she married Richard D. Newstrom, who she had met in Belgrade when he and friends visited that town in search of adult beverages, as the neighboring county where he lived was dry. The rest, as they say, is history. Elaine and her husband raised four children in Crystal. In 2019 they moved to the St. Therese Senior Community in New Hope. She relished the role of family matriarch, cook, wife, mother, grandmother and (during the last 12 days of her life) great-grandmother. Elaine loved to travel and was very proud that she and her husband had visited all 50 US states. She instilled a love of travel in their kids and grandkids that is alive and well. Elaine and her sister Janet spent countless hours over many years painstakingly piecing together the family tree back to the mid-1800's all without use of the internet. The impressive, self-published volumes that resulted are a testament to her love for family. Elaine was a faithful lifelong Catholic and for almost 60 years attended St. Raphael's Church in Crystal. Equally impressive in longevity was her now-legendary weekly letter she typed (yes, typed) and photocopied/mailed to a wide array of family members each Monday since the mid 1980's. The consistency of the letter was remarkable, missing only a small handful during an epic run. Her fierce pragmatism, generosity, love of family and delight in simple pleasures was an inspiration to all. She will be missed beyond measure and the world is a brighter place for her 86 wonderful years. Elaine was preceded in death by father Albert and mother Odelia; brother Richie and sister Janet. She is survived by her husband, Richard; daughter, Mary; sons Richard Jr., David (Cheryl) and Jim; brothers Werner (Myra), Clem (Laverne) and sister Irene (Ben); grandchildren Heather (Ben), Jenna, Cameron (Maria), Kristen, Chad and Henry; great-grandson Carter. A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate Elaine's life will be held at 10 am on Saturday, October 23, 2021 at St Raphael's Catholic Church (7301 Bass Lake Rd Crystal MN 55428). Outdoor reception/gathering immediately following. 1 pm interment at Gethsemane Cemetery (8151 42nd Ave N New Hope MN 55427). The family respectfully asks attendees to wear a mask.
