Elaine Emma Hollabaugh

, 90, died in Rogers City November 24, 2017.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, June 10, 1927, she was the eldest child of Herbert and Hilda (Schultz) Potter.

Elaine graduated from Waite High School in 1945 winning a $100 scholarship which paid her tuition for her first year at Bowling Green State University. Her favorite studies were children’s literature and journalism. She loved reporting for the Bee Gee News which proved helpful in later years.

Her college days were over once she met George W. Hollabaugh, a returning soldier from World War II. The couple married August 26, 1948 at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Toledo. Learning to cook and bake at an early age, Elaine enjoyed the role of homemaker and mother to two sons, Mark and Matthew.

Leaving Toledo in 1955, the family moved to Alpena, later to Cedarville and eventually to Rogers City where Elaine had always longed to live. She was happy to move into the century-old Hornbacher farmhouse on the hill. After her sons finished high school, Elaine graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature and began freelance writing, specializing in articles about creators of books for children. She is published in Young World, This Day, Young Miss, The Bond, Lutheran Libraries, Scope, A Simple Life, Bend of the River, and Detroit News Magazine, to name a few. In 1980 Elaine created a newsletter for fans of Tasha Tudor, a children’s book illustrator. Elaine’s subscriber list grew into the hundreds with fans in every state during the 20 years of publication. Elaine delighted in giving elaborate tea parties for granddaughters, Sarah and Emily, their friends and dolls.

Elaine loved reading, braiding wool rugs, baking cookies and playing her 1895 piano for group singing when entertaining friends and relatives. Sometimes she played the organ for services at St. John Lutheran Church in Hagensville and later at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ocqueoc where she was a member.

She is survived by two sons, Dr. Mark (Jon Moe) Hollabaugh of Woodbury, Minnesota and Matthew (Kathy) Hollabaugh of Rogers City; grandchildren, Scott (Rachelle) Hollabaugh, Sarah (Scott) McQueer, Emily Hollabaugh, Peter Moe and David Moe; great-grandchildren, Audrey Hollabaugh, Christian Hollabaugh, Austin McQueer, Ethan McQueer and Elaina McQueer; a brother, Herbert G. (“Skip”) Potter; a sister, Shirley A. Helmke; and numerous nieces and nephews.