Elenora (Devay) Siewert

Elenora Augusta Devay Siewert passed away this past Easter morning at the age of 93.

She was blessed with a rich yet simple life devoted to family and her Catholic Faith and Notre Dame Football.

A parishioner at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Watervliet, Michigan, she served for many years as a member of the Altar and Rosary Society.

She was a graduate of Benton Harbor Senior High in 1949. In 1987 at the age of 56 she received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Sienna Heights University. In 1988, she attended the University of Indiana, South Bend, Master of Liberal Studies Program.

She worked for nearly 30 years at Whirlpool’s World Headquarters in Benton Harbor and at the Tech Center in St Joseph, where she made many lifelong friends.

After retiring from Whirlpool, she thoroughly enjoyed working with students at Lake Michigan College’s Computer lab until age 80.

Make a Wish Foundation was among her favorite Charities. In 1997 she was very excited and proud to complete a 300-mile fundraising bicycle ride across the Mackinac Bridge.

With great enthusiasm and devotion, she served for 10 years as a University of Notre Dame Football Usher. Her daughter Kim was a Notre Dame alumna.

She and Bill were loving and encouraging parents to Kim and Mark, moving them to their 10 acre farm and offering them all the gifts of rural Michigan life. She had a large extended family in Michigan and relatives in Austria.

Preceding her in death were her husband William Albert Siewert, her daughter Kim Marie Siewert, her sisters Hilda Devay Hirsch and Emily Devay McInerny, her niece Karen Hirsch, her nephew Ron L Hirsch Sr. Her very best friend from childhood Mildred Tober Robinson also passed away earlier. Elenora delighted in hearing from Mildred’s children, Jill, Rich and Debbie throughout the remainder of her own life.

She is survived by her loving and devoted son Mark William Siewert (wife Phyllis), her nephew Tom Hirsch and his son Timmy Hirsch, and her grand nephews Zeb Hirsch and Ronnie Hirsch Jr.; and her nieces Mary Ellen McInerny Griffiths, Denise Marx, Val Novotny and Holly Robertson. She leaves behind her friends and trivia and cards group, which she truly enjoyed, at The Whitcomb in St. Joseph. In Wilmington, NC, she received loving care and plenty of “hot tea!” from her “best friend” caregivers at The Commons at Brightmore. Dr. Kavita Persaud was her kind physician.

A funeral Mass for Elenora at St. Joseph Catholic Church Watervliet is planned for Saturday June 8 at 11 a.m., with Rosary beforehand. Hutchins Funeral Home of Watervliet will be handling arrangements. Elenora would surely appreciate donations to Make a Wish Foundation.

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