The Ekalaka Eagle - Your Community Builder

In the early morning hours of November 18, 2019, Elsa slipped through the bonds of Earth to the eternal joy and glory of Heaven. Born to Martin G. and Elsie (Teigen) Loken in Camp Crook, South Dakota, Elsa lived a carefree, secure and fun-filled childhood on the family ranch near Capitol, Montana. The youngest of several older siblings she was surrounded by the many cousins and friends of large families in the area.

Born an inquisitive and highly social personality, Elsa was always very comfortable in her own company. When speaking of her early childhood she often mentioned how she loved hiking to the top of nearby Sheep Mountain and walking on her own across the prairie to the visit neighbors and cousins. Her father built a swing for her in the ranch barn where she spent many hours of her early years alone, playing and swinging there and singing at the top of her voice with the birds that lived in the hay-loft. She completed her elementary education at the nearby country school.

It was during these years that she began her study of piano, a skill and gift that she (and others) enjoyed throughout her life. Elsa had to live away from her parents and away home to attend high school in Ekalaka; she graduated in 1949. With her family Elsa was an active member of The Little Missouri Lutheran Church near Capitol.

During her teen and early adult years Elsa enjoyed her independence and loved to travel. With her quick wit, easy laugh and never-met-a-stranger persona, she acquired many friends along the way. She spent a good deal of time with her sister, Olga Loken Freed, and her young family in Denver, CO. One of the bonuses of spending time with Olga is that Elsa was able to travel along as the family "babysitter" when there were conferences to attend and other cross-country destinations to visit.

Montana State University in Bozeman was next on Elsa's agenda. While at MSU she played in Symphonic Band and was a member of Kappa Delta. She was also active in the campus women's individual and team sports. Ultimately she graduated in 1952 with her teaching degree. Back home in Carter County, Elsa's first teaching position was at the one room country school near the Mill Iron area. A first grader, at the time, commented years later that the students loved her because she was 1) young, 2) pretty, and 3) she played the piano!

Her next position was at Albion School. She began her third position in the fall of 1954 at another one room country school in the far southern region of the county at Ridge, Montana. It is there that the course of her life turned when she met the pilot/musician/artist/rancher, Francis Hayes – and so began one of the world's greatest love stories.

Francis and Elsa married on September 10, 1955 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. They made their home at Ridge. Elsa immersed herself in the busy life of marriage, motherhood and valued as an essential member of the thriving Ridge community. The family quickly grew to include four children, a dog or two, bum calves and lambs, a pet skunk among other wildlife critters, occasional extra children, and lots of visitors from very near and very far. Elsa dove in with all fours, as she would say. She loved life at Ridge – all of it!

Elsa served numerous charitable organizations in formal positions in addition to most of the informal roles. She organized things and people, cooked and served crowds in her own home plus larger crowds for community events, for ranchers, for firefighters; she raised funds for needs large and small. Elsa was generous with her knowledge, generous with her friendships, and generous with her time. A volunteer with the American Cancer Society, she also served on the Tri-County Board for Special Education, Carter County High School Board, was a District Election Judge and a member of Meat Promoters.

She was active in the local WIFE (Women In Farm Economics) organization, The Busy Hands Club, Cow Bells, The Red Hat Club; the list goes on and on. For more than 20 years she contributed her skills as a vocalist and pianist for St. David's Church, played for untold school programs and lots of jittery soloists plus was the pianist for many weddings and funerals.

Elsa loved to go – go anywhere for any reason. Her love of travel continued throughout her years always joining her husband Francis to local, state, regional and national meetings through his 40 years' service as a director to rural electric groups. Her children and grandchildren scattered far and wide and she never missed a chance to fly or drive across the county line, to either coast, or to any state in between to "go" to them.

A skilled seamstress, she sewed most of her own wardrobe, partly because she had that special Elsa-style going on but mostly because it was the only way to have clothes that fit her tall, thin Norwegian structure. Elsa carried her beauty as though she'd been raised as a model on fashion runways. And we simply don't have space to discuss her hats. Oh, the hats! She created her own garments but also devised clever gifts for others and pieces for her own home from draperies to unique rugs to travel bags and, of course, quilts. Often these items were uniquely constructed of worn work jeans. Give that woman a gnarly pair of Wranglers and who knew what would happen. Carefully designed for Montana winters, for many years she produced sought-after zippered-quilted-buntings (of denim and flannel) for every new-born baby of the community.

Enjoying fashion as she did, it was a natural fit for her interests and for the rural, independent life of Montana ranching, Elsa became a representative of "Beauty For All Seasons," a line of quality skin care and makeup. Concurrently, she also taught the art of color coding skin and hair tones into the categories of seasons. Are you a Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall? As she traveled to homes of friends, then friends of friends across the area, she helped build self-confidence through fashion. Her "fashion parties" were always filled with fun and laughter.

First and foremost Elsa was a wife and mother. Hospitality was her gift. An absolute equal partner and teammate with Francis, she was a rancher, a business woman, a teacher, a friend, a musician, a pilot, an artist, a designer and a creative soul, all while marching to her own drum. Not someone else's drummer, but her very own drum. Go now, Beautiful Lady. Make your music and pound your drum!

Elsa is survived by her husband, Francis Hayes of Ridge, Montana; son, Thomas Hayes of Ridge and his sons Erik and Susan and their daughters Audra, Edith, and Astrid of Bozeman, Montana; Christopher and Sara and their son River of Layton, Utah; daughter Charlene Hayes Elston of Ridge; son Mitchell and Connie (Edwards) Hayes of Billings, and their children Keri (Hayes) and Terry Reese and their children Gavyn and Tanith of Billings; Luke and Michelle Hayes and their son Kristian of Billings; Sarah (Hayes) and Brandon Jones and their children Kenneth and Trisha of Gillette, Wyoming; Cecil Hayes and his daughter Isabell of Billings; Karen Hayes and Phillip Christy of Lexington, North Carolina and their children Ashley Davis and her daughter Jade of North Carolina; Adam and Hillary Amende and their daughter Sadie of North Carolina, Jessie and David Walton and their children Isaac, Zoe, Kaylee, and Jacob of North Carolina in addition to many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Elsa was preceded in death by her parents Martin G. and Elsie (Teigen) Loken; her brother Carsten (Dutch) and sister-in-law Myrna (Andersen) Loken; her brother Edwin Loken; her sister Olga (Loken) and brother-in-law Charles G. Freed; her son-in-law Raymond Elston.

A Funeral Mass was held November 25 at St. David's Catholic Church in Broadus. Interment followed in the Ridge Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: http://www.stevensonandsons.com.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions in Elsa's name may consider the Powder River Manor.