Lynda Elmer 1942-2023 ….
Lynda Elmer 1942-2023
Rev. Lynda Elmer was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on March 15, 1942 and died in LongBeach, on April 15, 2023.
She held a bachelor of arts degree from Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. She taught classical languages on the secondary level for 10 years, during which she married Cedric N. Elmer, also from Reading.
In 1976, she and her husband adopted a baby girl whom they named Carolyn, and Rev. Elmer became a stay at home mom for 10 years, during which she returned to active participation in her local Lutheran (LCA) congregation. In 1986, she received the call from the same congregation to serve professionally as Lay Assistant to the Pastor, later Associate in Ministry, into which she was rostered through the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod in 1989. Her position ignited her life-long calling to enter the ordained ministry of word and Sacrament which necessitated a four-year seminary education.
In 1993, she entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, graduated in 1997 with a Masters of Divinity degree and was ordained on Aug. 3, 1997. She served a rural parish for three years and a suburban parish for 10 years in the Reading area retiring from parish ministry December 2010.
She and her husband moved to California in March 2014 because of family: Carolyn and husband Matthew Grayson in Seal Beach and sister, Marcia Gehris.
Lynda led Bible studies at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Leisure World where she drew a crowd of 25 residents. Lynda preached, sang solos and in the choir and played piano duets with her husband Cedric during her retirement years at Redeemer Lutheran Church.
In 2015 she became a grandmother to Tabitha Grayson. Services will be held in Seal Beach, CA on a date to be determined.
Details for funeral services and a link to join via Zoom to come.
