Elizabeth Mae Cunningham

Elizabeth M. Cunningham, age 93, of Willmar, passed away Tuesday morning, April 12, at Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater.  Visitation will be Tuesday, April 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Atwater and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Elizabeth Mae (Mattison) Cunningham was born on the farm south of Grove City on November 26, 1928, to Nick & Jennie (Jacobson) Mattison.  She was baptized, confirmed and married at Immanuel Lutheran Church of Grove City.  She grew up in the Grove City community, graduated from Grove City High School in 1946 and then worked in Minneapolis for Western Union for three years. 

On May 28, 1950, she married Oliver Cunningham.  They lived on a farm southwest of Atwater until 1996 when they moved to Kandiyohi.  She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church where she was active in the ladies aide organization, sang in the choir, lead church choir, helped with Sunday school music and assisted with the altar guild.  Elizabeth was also an active member of the Kandiyohi County Dairy Association for several years.

She is survived by twelve children; Connie (Doug) Paine of San Diego CA, Kim (Dean) Pelzer of St. Augusta, Kate (Jonathan) Libby of Santa Cruz CA,  Charles (Carol) Cunningham of Atwater, Margaret (Rick) Stang of Sartell, Martin (Michelle) Cunningham of Princeton, John (Laura) Cunningham of Atwater, Janet (Ritchie) Johnson of Kerkhoven, Elizabeth (Jan) Larson of Buffalo, Helen (Barry) Haggarty of Bloomington IL, Jane Hershstein of Fairhaven, and Sarah (Paul) Anderson of Plymouth as well as  25 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband Oliver, daughter Eleanore, son-in-law Mordechai Hershstein, her parents, one brother and three sisters.