Elnora Strahan Vader, educator, outspoken political activist, and local civic leader died of natural causes on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 in Escanaba. She was 92 years old. She was ahead of her time in her lifelong involvement in women’s issues, and touched many lives in her 50 years in politics and more than 18 years in education.

Edna Elnora Strahan was born March 13, 1915, in Fife Lake, Michigan, and was raised in Kalkaska and Grand Traverse Counties in Lower Michigan. She obtained a one-year teaching certificate and taught in a rural country school at age 18 before earning her bachelor’s degree at Western Michigan University in 1939. She married Leonard Vader in 1941 at the start of World War II. During the war, she worked as one of the famed “Rosie the Riveters”, building B-24 bombers at the Willow Run defense plant in Ypsilanti. She moved with Leonard to Escanaba in 1951, where they raised their five children. She officially entered the political arena in 1952 when she co-founded the local League of Women Voters, in which she remained active for 50 years. The first woman to run for political office in Escanaba, she aspired to the Escanaba City Council in 1958. In 1974 she was elected to the Delta County Board of Commissioners, the first woman to hold office in that body, where she served for 10 years, including four years as a chairperson. In addition, she helped develop and chaired the Democratic Women’s Club, was on the State Democratic Central Committee, was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1972 at which she was elected secretary to the Michigan delegation, was appointed to the Board of Children’s Trust Fund for the prevention of Abuse and Neglect, was a member of the Delta County Mental Health Board, served on the Delta County Emergency Preparedness Committee, served on the Board for the Delta County Alliance Against Violence and Abuse, and at the age of 75, ran for a seat in the Michigan State House.

After raising her five children, her career in education recommenced as she began teaching government in 1963 at the Escanaba Area High School. She initiated several innovative programs including an honors seminar for gifted senior students, and in 1968, returned to school herself to obtain her master’s degree in political science at Utah State University on a U.S. Office of Education Scholarship for Experienced Teachers.

She belonged to, and was active in, many organizations including American Association of University Women, Business and Professional Women, National Organization for Women, U.P. Coalition for Women’s Rights, Players de Noc, and Delta Kappa Gamma. She served as president of the Presbyterian Church Women’s Association, as vice-president of the United Church Women of Michigan, and as elder for the Presbyterian Church.

Elnora was the recipient of many honors, though her most cherished was the Delta County Chamber of Commerce 2003 ATHENA Award, a national program which recognizes people who have assisted women in attaining professional excellence and leadership skills.

She is survived by:

Her sister Fay of Darlington, Wisconsin

5 children: Charles, a retired Escanaba educator; Thomas, an anesthesiologist on Whidbey Island, Washington; John Paul, a public health physician in Lausanne, Switzerland; Virginia, a pathologist in Bend, Oregon; and Dan an attorney in Escanaba.

She is blessed with 12 grandchildren who live in Escanaba, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Hawaii, Israel, and Switzerland.

Her grandchildren are: Len; Jeremy; Kiowa; Kira; Sarah Lea; Dave; Millie; Aari; Ben; Danny; and Leah.

Her beloved great-grandchildren are: Elishiva; Yechezkel; Yesroyel Mayr; Haya Rivka; Thomas; Leo;  Oliva; Emma; Milo; Sonya; Kanoa; and Kaia.

and nieces and nephews

The family of Elnora Vader will receive friends on Friday, November 2nd at the First Presbyterian Church in Escanaba from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Services celebrating Elnora’s life will follow on Friday at 6:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Scott White officiating. Luncheon will follow services in the church Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorials be directed to the “Elnora Vader Scholarship Fund” through the Community Foundation of Delta County, located at 2500 7th Avenue South; Escanaba 49829. Envelopes will also be available at the church during visitation and the Skradski-Boyce Funeral Homes of Delta County who are assisting the Vader family.