Elsie Lucille Street, 94, of Litchfield, died on Saturday, May 3, 2025, on the same date and virtually the same time as her late husband, Lee, passed fourteen years ago.
A private graveside service for immediate family members and blessing for the deceased will be held on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, with burial in Elm Lawn Cemetery, in Litchfield. Lynne Taylor, Ministerial Chairperson of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, will officiate.
Mrs. Street was born on Jan. 28, 1931, in Litchfield, to the late Charles Cleveland Small and Anna Sophia (Lehnert) Small. She was the first incubator baby at St. Francis Hospital, weighing only 3.5 pounds at birth. She was extremely proud of her maternal Dutch-German heritage. Her grandmother, Jenna Muller, was one of thirteen children born to Riclef Peters Muller and Anthye Janssen Helen Detmers in Hage, Norden, Hanover, Prussia, Germany (on the North Sea) in 1858, with the entire family coming to the U.S. by ship in 1883.
She married the love of her life, Lee Gilbert Allen Street, in Hillsboro on Feb. 19, 1949; a marriage that spanned 62 years until his death in 2011. In her early years, Mrs. Street was employed at St. Francis Hospital in the surgery and x-ray departments, developing the majority of the x-rays for the victims of the 1948 Bunker Hill tornado disaster. For the remainder of her life she was a devoted homemaker and enjoyed working in her yard and tending her flowers. Mrs. Street was well-known for her “green thumb” and creating a beautiful variety of rare flowers and ferns in her yard.
Mrs. Street enjoyed and was extremely gifted in the arts of crochet, embroidery, painting, making soap and baking and decorating cakes, cookies and candies. She was a prolific collector of vintage items and loved attending yard and estate sales. Mrs. Street loved visiting with her friends and relatives both in person and on the phone as well as sending and receiving cards and letters. She loved dancing and listening to German Polka music and in her later years she had a passion for jigsaw and word puzzles and watching cooking shows that featured children cooking or Cake Boss.
Mrs. Street was a member of the First Baptist Church in Litchfield, where she was a member of King’s Daughters, worked in the nursery and served in many capacities. She loved and honored the Lord and the teachings of the Bible. She was kind to everyone, honest to a fault, but also had a “fiery” spirit. She took care of her mother, stepfather, mother-in-law, uncle and neighbors when they needed help or were at the end of life. She taught her children to be empathetic, honorable and trustworthy.
Mrs. Street’s life was defined by generosity – guided by Acts 20:35 (“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'”), she often gave away her possessions to anyone she felt was in need. Her gentle kindness touched the lives of many.
It must be noted that Mrs. Street loved each member of her family and all of her friends unconditionally. She was so proud of them and each of their accomplishments and made sure to let them (and everyone else) know.
Until recently, Mrs. Street had been cared for by her daughter and “son”-in-law, Ann and David Allen of Litchfield for the past 13 years. Additionally, she is survived by her grandson, D. Brett Allen, and his wife, Kellie (Eaker) Allen of Wildwood, MO; one great-grandson, Keegan Edward Allen of Wildwood, MO; daughter, Brenda Arter (John) of rural Raymond; grandson, J. Nicholas Arter and granddaughter, Abigail Katherine Arter, both who reside in St. Louis, MO; and several nieces and nephews who she held close to her heart.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband; her step-father, Norris Sinclair DeWitt of Litchfield; brother Charles C. Small and his wife Delores of Greenville; step-sister, Bess (DeWitt) Odle of Litchfield; beloved niece, Peggy Michelle Miller Odle of Litchfield; and nephews Robert and Dale Street of Litchfield and Robert Street of Phoenix, AZ.
Mrs. Street often said, “Give me flowers when I can enjoy them, not when I have passed.” With that request in mind, the family asks that in lieu of flowers memorials be made to Gillespie Health and Rehabilitation Activity Department, c/o Mrs. Street’s daughter, Ann Allen, Litchfield, IL.
