Elaine Mannhardt

Elaine Mannhardt of Harrisonburg Virginia, aged 93, went to be with her Lord on March 23, 2026. Elaine (Trepal) Mannhardt was born in the Phoenixville section of Eastford on July 28, 1932 to Edward A. Trepal and Leta (Sabin) Trepal. She had three older sisters: Jean, Helen, and Dorothy. Elaine was a 1950 graduate of Woodstock Academy and received a B.S. degree from UCONN in 1955 with a major in Child Development and a minor in Art. In 1953 Elaine married Lowell Mannhardt from Teaneck, New Jersey. Between 1955 to 1961 Elaine and Lowell had 5 children together (3 girls and 2 boys). In 1970 they adopted a 13-year-old girl from the nation of Korea.

For many years Elaine was a stay-at-home mom, enjoyed tending a large vegetable garden; cooking, canning and freezing the produce. She sewed clothes for her children and provided for her family in every way. When her children where older (1968-1970) she taught Elementary school in Suffield, Connecticut. Her children were taught to cook meals and be responsible around the home. Later in Westfield, Massachusetts she did long term High School substitute teaching in Home Economics and Child Development.

Elaine loved adventure, was very spontaneous, was very hospital, and loved nature and art. Her life being married to Lowell Mannhardt brought her many adventures. In 1975 her family moved to the rural Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts and lived in a cabin located between a branch of the Westfield River and a railroad track. The first family members to arrive collected water from a spring on the property and used an outhouse when needed. Indoor plumbing was installed before the less adventurous family members arrived, however, everyone needed to adjust to the loud rumble of the occasional freight train that sometimes passed in the night. There would also be a loud rumble once a year in the spring when the winter ice broke up and the river would swell to ten times its normal size as a large ice flow rushed pass the cabin. Heating was all done by wood stoves with no backup heat, which was strong motivation for her sons to cut and split wood for the long cold winter. Elaine proved herself capable, cooking berry pancakes on a wood cookstove with wild berries picked along the railroad tracks. Goats were raised for milk and chickens and sundry other animals were occasionally raised - at least until the coyotes got them. Some of the children would make maple syrup in the spring and press apple cider in the fall from wild apples.

Adventure was not new for Elaine. She grew up in rural Connecticut and lived across the street from the Natchaug River, where she would swim and explore with her sister and cousins. Elaine was the “tomboy” of her family, and would trap and skin muskrats from the river with her cousin. Her uncle who lived across the street was the game warden for the Natchuag State Forest and would sometimes give the children a ride to school in his state car. The town had a one room school house for all the elementary grades. Elaine and her sisters would take long walks in the woods to swim in a lake that was a mile away. She grew up during the great depression and her family supplemented their food supply with a family cow, chickens and a large garden.

After graduating from college, Elaine returned to her home town of Eastford, Connecticut to start her family with her husband Lowell. During these early years of their marriage, Elaine’s husband had an emotional crisis and went to Bigalow state park to seek answers for his life. While sitting by the lake, Lowell called out to God, asking if He existed, and if so, would He reveal Himself to him. At this point, he felt God told him to start attending a local Baptist church. Lowell committed his life to Christ at this point and a year or so later Elaine committed her life to Christ as well. Lowell became very active in the church and became a deacon. He would spontaneously invite people that he met at church for Sunday lunch. Sometimes these Sunday afternoon guests would include missionaries from foreign lands. This would be an inspiration for two of their daughters to become lifelong missionaries to Japan. Lowell would lead family devotionals and Elaine would play the piano as the family would gather around and sing hymns. Elaine would pray for her children before sending them off to school.

After Elaine’s children were grown and life circumstances forced her to be on her own, she took the opportunity to travel the world and spent time with her children who were abroad. She lived in Japan a couple of years near two of her daughters’ families and taught conversational English to professional men and women as well as high school students. She made multiple trips to see her son’s family in Alaska, one of which included driving the Alcan Highway with her daughters-in-law. She returned a couple more times to Japan, one of those times to care for her grandchildren while her daughter cared for her critically ill husband whose life-threatening disease kept him in the hospital for months. After living in Japan for several years Elaine came to back to the United States to live with her son in Connecticut. At this time, she worked as a waitress on a Connecticut River tour boat.

In 1989, Elaine was ready to settle down. She moved to Virginia and bought property and a modular home in Keezletown with the help of her father. In Virginia, Elaine worked at Sunnyside Assisted Living as a CNA and then later with the dementia unit in which she enjoyed spending time and making friends with the residents. One of her daughters, son-in-law and two foster children soon moved in with her in her Keezletown house. Elaine helped to raise her foster grandchildren. Family was always very important to Elaine and she always took every possible opportunity to welcome family members into her home. Elaine loved nature, kayaking and gardening. She had a sprawling garden which wandered aimlessly around her property in Keezletown. You could frequently find her in blue jeans, barefooted, tweaking her garden to suit her latest imagination. As she aged, she spent more time sitting in her swivel Chair, dog and cat in lap, reading a book. She did, however, use her iPad frequently in the last few years of life. She shared her spiritual journey in Virginia with Broadstreet Mennonite Church, Massanutten Presbyterian Church and finally with Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Over the years, Elaine touched many people and made many friends over of whom we do not have time to mention here. She was deeply loved and will be missed by many friends and family.

Elaine will be missed by her six surviving children; Japan - Laurie (John), Fredericksburg VA - Cassandra (Joe), Eastford CT - Su Ann (Glenn), Rockingham VA - Samuel (Lois), Alaska - Matthew (Teresa), Japan - Ruth (Martin). Elaine’s husband Lowell, to whom she was married for 36 years, preceded her in death. Lowell Mannhardt died in Anchorage AK on May 13, 2012. Elaine also leaves 17 nieces and nephews, 23 grandchildren (19 granddaughters and 4 grandsons) and many great grandchildren. She was also predeceased by her sisters Jean Barlow, Helen Yulo and Dorothy Clark.

A memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 133 Harrisonburg VA at 7 PM.

The memorial service will by available live stream and recorded on YouTube – Trinity Presbyterian Harrisonburg, and also on facebook.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Heifer International online -heifer.org or Heifer International 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72202

Online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.mcmullenfh.com.

McMullen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.