Elisabeth Hess Dunham

Elisabeth Hess Dunham, 87, went to be with our Lord on May 3, 2015, at 7 p.m., at her home in Wasilla, just 11 days short of her 88th birthday.

She fought a valiant battle with lung cancer, of which she was diagnosed in August of last year.

Elisabeth was born May 14, 1927, to Peter Hess and Eleanora (nee Pfleger) in the little German town of Miesenbach (now known as Ramstein-Miesenbach). She was the fourth youngest of nine children born to the family; seven lived to be adults. She grew up during World War II in Germany, experiencing the struggle to live during a time when many German citizens were terrorized by the Nazis, starvation was rampant, and death could come at any time. Elisabeth survived the war and witnessed the Allied occupation of Germany, which was a welcomed improvement over the Nazi leadership. Elisabeth worked in a factory during and after the war, sewing garments.

She met and married an American serviceman, William Leland Dunham, in 1956. They would remain married for 58 years. As the wife of a serviceman, she moved with William 10 times. During her first years in America, she learned to speak English by watching American television.

Elisabeth gave birth to four children: William Richard, Werner Jon, Elizabeth Irene and Diane Eleanor. She also miscarried one child whom she assuredly has already met in heaven. She dearly loved all of her children, helping each one during her years on Earth. Elisabeth had a strong spirit, a great sense of humor and an incurable habit of feeding everyone that would visit her. She told her children stories of her youth in Germany, of times of family happiness and tragedy during that terrible period of German history. Even though most of her children never met their German grandparents, they knew many things about them through Elisabeth’s stories.

Elisabeth worked 15 years for the Army Air Force Exchange System, at the MAC terminal cafeteria on Elmendorf Air Force Base. She excelled at her work, with recognition on several occasions for her outstanding work. She retired in 1988, spending several years wintering in both Yuma and Kingman, Arizona, while living in Wasilla.

Elisabeth is survived by her brother, Wilhelm Hess of Germany; her children and their spouses, William Richard (Korry) Dunham, Werner Jon (Anne) Dunham, Irene Dunham (Mark) Crowley and Diane Eleanor Dunham; grandchildren and their spouses, Sara Dunham, Bill Dunham and Jason Dunham; Stephanie (Bret) Teague, Connor (Maya) Dunham; Bruce Downes, Elisabeth Downes (Chris Tomsha); great granddaughters, Saffron and Aveline Teague; and many nieces and nephews in the United States and Germany.

A memorial service for Elisabeth is at 2 pm., June 6, at Faith Bible Fellowship Church, 14225 Kluane Drive, Big Lake. A reception will follow immediately after the service.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Elisabeth’s name may be made to Faith Bible Fellowship Church, 14225 Kluane Drive, Wasilla, AK 99652 (907) 892-8545; the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, 130 Seward Street, Suite 214, Juneau, AK 99801, (907) 586-3650; or Lutheran Social Services, 1303 W 33rd Ave, Anchorage, AK, 99503, (907) 272-0643.