Carol “Elise” Sperstad, age 94, died on December 21, 2024, peacefully holding the hands of people who loved her, at the EUP Ball Hospice House in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. She was born on May 24, 1930, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, adopted by Axel and Ida (Grudt) Lundberg, who always said that they chose her out of all the babies because she had the most beautiful smile.
Elise grew up in White Rock, South Dakota, and Wheaton, Minnesota. After high school graduation, she moved to Menomonie, Wisconsin, where she met and married Bert Sperstad. The two of them traded off working and going to college. They moved first to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and then to Detroit, Michigan. Elise finished her BA at Wayne State and taught in Detroit where Bert was also a teacher. They bought a home in Dearborn, Michigan, where they lived for over 60 years. After more than twelve years of marriage, they started a family. They had two daughters, Kari in 1962, and then Dara in 1964. Bert and Elise were wonderful parents and had a long life together.
Elise was an energetic person who loved to do projects, to read, to travel and spend time with family. She had a quick wit and, as her parents had first seen so many years before, a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh. She loved poetry; Emily Dickinson, TS Eliot and EE Cummings were among her favorites. Elise always had a project going. While the family camped, she hunted for and collected rocks and did research to go along with them. She will be leaving the family with fond memories of scaling up the sides of mountains and walking along the sides of streams looking for rocks. Elise was an avid stamp collector, which worked well because she wrote many letters. Family and friends all saved their cancelled stamps to send back to her. Later, she started an african violet collection and propagated hundreds of varieties herself. She had flowers everywhere. She had a love of learning that never stopped until dementia started to creep up on her late in life.
Elise is survived by her daughter, Kari (John) Sperstad-McElyea; grandchildren, Kiera, Regan, Parker and Carter; son-in-law, Steve; and her “adopted” daughter, Kimberly.
Elise was preceded in death by her husband, Bert in 2012; and daughter, Dara in 2023.
Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality. --- Emily Dickinson
Family Life Funeral Homes assisted the family with arrangements. Condolences may be left to the family at www.familylifefh.com.
Obituary as submitted by family.
