Elfriede Russ Ratajski

Faithful wife and loving mother, Elfriede Ratajski, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2024 in Simpsonville, South Carolina at the age of 93.

Elfriede was born to Eduard and Franziska Russ in 1931. As a young girl, she enjoyed life in a small village in Czechoslovakia, but also experienced the extreme hardship of the Nazi invasion of her homeland during World War II. In 1955 she met her husband Carl in Munich, Germany during his service in the US Air Force. They married and moved to the United States where Elfriede began a new life as an American Citizen, an achievement she considered one of the proudest moments of her life.

Affectionately known as “Oma” to her family, Elfriede was a dedicated and loving mother of six children, a grandmother of four, and a great grandmother of one. She prepared countless meals for her family and was a skilled seamstress. Her love of gardening was evident by the many hours she spent each summer tending to and nurturing her vegetable garden and beautiful flowers.  Elfriede’s unwavering love and devotion to her family will forever be remembered.

Elfriede was passionate about sharing the love of our Lord with others and was an integral part of her church family in both Connecticut and South Carolina.  A loyal servant to God, she spent many hours serving in the church bus ministry and the welcome team with her husband. Now that Elfriede has passed into the arms of our Lord, we should remind ourselves that while this is the end of her physical life on Earth, it is the beginning of an eternal existence with her Savior, Jesus Christ.  She joins her husband, Carl Casimir and son, Carl Eduard in Heaven.

Elfriede is survived by many family members: daughters, Alexandra (Mark) Nelson, Christina (Paul) Scavetta, Elizabeth Helme, and Stephanie Hanshaw; son, Thomas  Ratajski; grandchildren, Robert (Lisa) Helme, Ryan Helme, Emily Scavetta, Julia Scavetta; great-granddaughter, Eva Helme; nephew, Bob (Roslyn) Pociatek; sister, Liesel Mueller, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and four sisters.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Brookstone Terrace of Simpsonville for their attentive care of Elfriede over the past two years, the team from Interim Hospice who lovingly served Elfriede for the past year, and the staff from Cannon-Byrd Funeral Home for handling final arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Elfriede’s memory to Calvary Baptist Church of Simpsonville, 3810 Grandview Dr., Simpsonville, SC 29681.

A Celebration of Life honoring Elfriede will be held at Calvary Baptist Church of Simpsonville on Saturday, February 1 at 11:00 am. Private interment at M.J. “Dolly” Cooper Veterans Cemetery, Anderson, SC will take place at the convenience of the family.