Barbara Elgar

BARBARA D. ELGAR

Mount Pleasant

Barbara D. Elgar, 91, of Mount Pleasant, died Sept. 25, 2019, at Donnellson Health Center. Visitation with family present will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at Olson Powell Memorial Chapel. A private graveside service will be held for family members at Forest Home Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family has established memorials for Iowa Wesleyan University, the Old Threshers Foundation (carousel) and the First United Methodist Church.

Born Feb. 2, 1928, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, she was the daughter of Robert W. and Marion (Bartlett) Dennis. She married Alanson K. (Lany) Elgar on Aug. 5, 1950.

Barbara graduated from West Chicago High School in 1946. She then graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1950, with a degree in elementary education. She taught first grade in the Des Moines Public School District for one year.

When Lany passed the bar examination in June 1951, they returned to Mount Pleasant. Barb was active in her children's school activities from the time they started kindergarten until they graduated from high school. She was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and opened her home numerous times for sorority events. When Lany became a member of the Iowa Wesleyan College Board of Trustees in 1970, they regularly attended and hosted Wesleyan events. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church, having served as president of the United Methodist Women. She and Lany served as the first volunteer coordinators for the Midwest Old Threshers steam-powered carousel.

Barbara belonged to United Methodist Women, Chapter DD of TTT, Chapter Original A of PEO, Wednesday Club and Women's Club. She was a founding member of the Women's Club gourmet group. She enjoyed entertaining, yard work, reading and traveling.

She is survived by sons, Alan (Gale Kolbet) Elgar of Iowa City and Rob (Sue) Elgar of Plainfield, Ill.; and daughter, Mary Elgar of Mount Pleasant. She also is survived by granddaughter, Meredith (Reed) Peterson of Plainfield; and grandson, Nicholas (Andreana LeJeune) Elgar of Lombard, Ill.; and nieces, great-nieces, nephews and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lany; by her parents; her sister, Martha Lydiard, and husband, Jack Lydiard; and her brother, Robert Dennis and wife, Lucette.