Elliott Remembered As A ‘Community Leader’
January 11, 2023 at 1:53 a.m.
Elliott Remembered As A ‘Community Leader’
By David [email protected]
“He was a community leader. There’s no question about that. Any organization he was involved in, he put his whole self into,” said Jean Northenor, former Kosciusko County Republican Party chair.
A celebration of Elliott’s life is planned for 4 p.m. Saturday at the Winona Heritage Room in Winona Lake with the Rev. Kurt A. Miller officiating.
Kosciusko County Councilman and retired state Rep. Dave Wolkins knew Elliott for over 50 years.
“I met him when he first came into town - 1965, I believe it was. My wife worked at a traveling agency down at the Winona Lake Christian Assembly and John came in and I met him at that time and we’ve been friends that long,” Wolkins said.
He said Elliott was a “super individual” and “absolutely, totally committed” to making this community a better place.
“He was on every board that he could. You talk about somebody who devoted his time and lifestyle to improving, it was John,” Wolkins said. “I’m very, very sad to see what happened. I don’t understand what happened, but it is what it is. But he lived a life well. He really did.”
Elliott attended The Ohio State University as a recipient of the Charles “Chick” Evans Scholars program, where he played the alto horn for five years as a member of the band. He was very proud of being a part of the scholars program and his Buckeyes.
After graduating from college, according to his obituary, he moved to Winona Lake where he served at the Winona Lake Bible Conferences. It was then that he met and married his wife, Elaine Katherine Leinonen, who survives.
During his career, Elliott worked for Grace College, First National Bank and 1st Source Bank.
He was a longtime board member of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club. On Aug. 7, 2019, Elliott’s 75th birthday, Wolkins presented Elliott with the Sagamore of the Wabash at the Optimist meeting. After 46 years of perfect attendance with the Optimist Club, it was Elliott’s last before moving with his wife to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Over the years, Warsaw has been “very blessed” to have a number of bands come here and perform, like the Marine, Penn State, Oklahoma and Ohio State bands, Wolkins said at that Optimist meeting. “John was the guy who took it upon himself to get that done,” he said.
Elliott has sponsored and/or hosted many of the teams that have come to Winona Lake for the Grace College basketball tournament.
“A lot of you didn’t know it, but John was a very accomplished referee in soccer. In fact, he was actually in charge of placing all the soccer referees in the state of Indiana for a period of time,” Wolkins said.
Elliott also was involved in the Warsaw Community Development Corporation (now Main Street Warsaw), Baker Youth Club, Warsaw Education Foundation, Western Golf Association, Goodwill Industries of Michiana, American Lung Association, Kosciusko Leadership Academy and Kosciusko County Right To Life, among many other organizations.
He was a supporter of Warsaw Tigers basketball, which all of his children participated in during high school.
He served on many political campaigns of the Kosciusko County Republican Party and the Indiana Republican Party.
Northenor said she and Elliott battled a lot, but it was always good-natured battling.
“I’ve known him forever. I can’t remember a time, as an adult, when I didn’t know him,” she said.
When Northenor was the GOP chair, she said Elliott was very involved in politics. When she worked for Lake City Bank and Elliott worked for 1st Source Bank, that made them competitors in the banking world. When she was on the Merit Board for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Elliott was active on the financial side of the Board.
“We’d get made at each other, but then we’d make up,” Northenor said.
When former Indiana Governor and Purdue University President Mitch Daniels was scheduled to speak in September at the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club, Northenor said Elliott called her long distance to invite her to the breakfast
“We talked quite a bit then. We had a good conversation,” she recalled. “... He will be missed.”
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“He was a community leader. There’s no question about that. Any organization he was involved in, he put his whole self into,” said Jean Northenor, former Kosciusko County Republican Party chair.
A celebration of Elliott’s life is planned for 4 p.m. Saturday at the Winona Heritage Room in Winona Lake with the Rev. Kurt A. Miller officiating.
Kosciusko County Councilman and retired state Rep. Dave Wolkins knew Elliott for over 50 years.
“I met him when he first came into town - 1965, I believe it was. My wife worked at a traveling agency down at the Winona Lake Christian Assembly and John came in and I met him at that time and we’ve been friends that long,” Wolkins said.
He said Elliott was a “super individual” and “absolutely, totally committed” to making this community a better place.
“He was on every board that he could. You talk about somebody who devoted his time and lifestyle to improving, it was John,” Wolkins said. “I’m very, very sad to see what happened. I don’t understand what happened, but it is what it is. But he lived a life well. He really did.”
Elliott attended The Ohio State University as a recipient of the Charles “Chick” Evans Scholars program, where he played the alto horn for five years as a member of the band. He was very proud of being a part of the scholars program and his Buckeyes.
After graduating from college, according to his obituary, he moved to Winona Lake where he served at the Winona Lake Bible Conferences. It was then that he met and married his wife, Elaine Katherine Leinonen, who survives.
During his career, Elliott worked for Grace College, First National Bank and 1st Source Bank.
He was a longtime board member of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club. On Aug. 7, 2019, Elliott’s 75th birthday, Wolkins presented Elliott with the Sagamore of the Wabash at the Optimist meeting. After 46 years of perfect attendance with the Optimist Club, it was Elliott’s last before moving with his wife to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
Over the years, Warsaw has been “very blessed” to have a number of bands come here and perform, like the Marine, Penn State, Oklahoma and Ohio State bands, Wolkins said at that Optimist meeting. “John was the guy who took it upon himself to get that done,” he said.
Elliott has sponsored and/or hosted many of the teams that have come to Winona Lake for the Grace College basketball tournament.
“A lot of you didn’t know it, but John was a very accomplished referee in soccer. In fact, he was actually in charge of placing all the soccer referees in the state of Indiana for a period of time,” Wolkins said.
Elliott also was involved in the Warsaw Community Development Corporation (now Main Street Warsaw), Baker Youth Club, Warsaw Education Foundation, Western Golf Association, Goodwill Industries of Michiana, American Lung Association, Kosciusko Leadership Academy and Kosciusko County Right To Life, among many other organizations.
He was a supporter of Warsaw Tigers basketball, which all of his children participated in during high school.
He served on many political campaigns of the Kosciusko County Republican Party and the Indiana Republican Party.
Northenor said she and Elliott battled a lot, but it was always good-natured battling.
“I’ve known him forever. I can’t remember a time, as an adult, when I didn’t know him,” she said.
When Northenor was the GOP chair, she said Elliott was very involved in politics. When she worked for Lake City Bank and Elliott worked for 1st Source Bank, that made them competitors in the banking world. When she was on the Merit Board for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Elliott was active on the financial side of the Board.
“We’d get made at each other, but then we’d make up,” Northenor said.
When former Indiana Governor and Purdue University President Mitch Daniels was scheduled to speak in September at the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club, Northenor said Elliott called her long distance to invite her to the breakfast
“We talked quite a bit then. We had a good conversation,” she recalled. “... He will be missed.”
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