Elsie Jean Busta
It’s the ones you don’t see that get you!!! Keep it Hot, Keep it Cold or Don’t keep it!!!
Elsie Jean Schutte was born on July 18, 1942, in Clinton, Iowa, to Floyd and Ruby Schutte. In 1947 the family moved to a small farm near Fort Atkinson, Iowa, where she went to grade school and high school. After school she worked as a switchboard operator for the Fort Atkinson telephone company.
In September of 1963 she met a guy named Joe and decided to give him a shot. She said "Yes," and their marriage lasted 61 years. They had two children, Joe and JoAnn. The family settled in Cresco, Iowa, in 1967. There Elsie lent her cooking skills to the high school and worked nights as an Avon representative. She then spent 27 years with the Sara Lee Company, where she rolled dough, packed rolls, decorated cakes and ran conveyors. She would go through rain, sleet and snow to get there, and she was always on time. Like a calculator, you could count on her. In later years she worked at the local liquor store in Cresco, where she enjoyed her store team, taste testing wines and working with the public.
Elsie also gave her time to her son Little Joe, who was left quadriplegic after a car accident. For over 40 years she gave him whatever help he needed. Elsie was known as a no-excuse lady. Her motto was "Don't just say you will do something, but actually do it." Elsie passed away on March 30, 2024, at the age of 81. A memorial service was held at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco on April 5, 2024.
Elsie Jean Busta, age 81, passed away on March 30, 2024.
On July 18, 1942, Elsie was born in Clinton, Iowa to Floyd and Ruby Schutte. In 1947 the family moved to a small farm near Fort Atkinson, Iowa where Elsie attended grade school and high school. From there Elsie worked as a switchboard operator for the Fort Atkinson telephone company.
In September of 1963 she met a guy named Joe and decided to give him a shot. She said “Yes”. Their 61-year marriage included two children; Joe and JoAnn. The family settled in Cresco, Iowa in 1967 where Elsie lent her cooking skills to the high school and moonlighted as an Avon representative at night. After a few fun years of doing that Elsie moved on to work with the Sara Lee Company for 27 years. She loved this job and did all kinds of stuff, like rolling doe, packing rolls, decorating cakes, and running conveyers. She even lost a finger in the conveyer! No worries, it was reattached and made to be good as new! You name she did it. There was one time Elsie put too much water in the secret recipe and countered it with a truckload of flour. It worked! The gigantic rolls were all nice and extra fluffy, no inspection required.….. hmmmm….anyway, the “special edition” was packed and shipped! Elsie would go through rain, sleet, and snow to get to Sara Lee. Always on time and like a calculator, you could count on her!
In later years, Elsie worked at the local liquor store in Cresco. Her days were spent with a great store team, and she enjoyed taste testing wines and working with the public.
In addition to altering a recipe or two, Elsie dedicated her time to her son Little Joe who had been in a car accident which left him quadriplegic. For over 40 years, she provided whatever assistance he needed. She was the best nurse and friend he ever had, and her determination and invincible nature played an intricate role in the longevity of his health and many successes he achieved. They were a team, and she was the true definition of a mother.
Elsie was a no excuse lady. She said it like she saw it and took on more responsibilities than any one person should have ever had to do. Her motto was “Don’t just say you will do something, but actually do it”. Now that her work here is done, I say to my mother: Adjust the mirror, turn up the radio and head to your well-deserved eternal life. She is the strongest wife and mother I’ve ever known, and I will always love her. Dad agrees. Cheers to you Elsie Jean!
Elsie will live on forever more through her husband Joe, daughter JoAnn (Brian) Saathoff, grandchildren Carrington and Gregory Saathoff, great grandchildren Rylan and Gracelynn Saathoff, and several other family and friends.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00am on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday morning from 9:30am until time of services with recitation of the rosary beginning at 9:20am. Burial will take place at 2:00pm in the Saint John's Cemetery in Fort Atkinson, IA.
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