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Genealogical Records for Olive Elston (1962–2018)
Overview of Olive Elston’s Life and Obituary
Olive E. Elston (née Mansfield) was born April 3, 1962 in Defiance, Ohio, and she passed away at age 56 on September 16, 2018 at a hospice in Van Wert, Ohio. Her obituary from Den Herder Funeral Home in Paulding, Ohio, notes these vital dates and places and provides a summary of her life. According to the obituary, Olive was the daughter of Gale Mansfield and Ina (Olsen) Mansfield, and she married Edwin W. Elston on February 5, 1983. Olive’s obituary further lists her survivors, children, and relatives, reflecting key details useful for genealogy research.
Obituary Details: Olive’s published obituary confirms her family information and is an excellent resource for researchers. It states that at the time of her death she was survived by her husband, mother, three children, multiple siblings, and several grandchildren. It also notes that she was predeceased by her father and two brothers. The full obituary is accessible via Den Herder Funeral Home’s website [1] (https://www.denherderfh.com/obituary/6285695) and was also shared on Legacy.com [2] (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/olive-elston-memorial?pid=190245584).
Birth and Marriage Records
Birth: Olive was born on April 3, 1962, in Defiance County, Ohio. While her birth certificate would be held by the Ohio Department of Health, the birth information is corroborated by her obituary and by her Find a Grave memorial [3] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193237529/olive-e.-elston).
Marriage: Olive married Edwin W. Elston on February 5, 1983. This marriage is documented not only in her obituary but also in official records. Genealogy databases (like Ancestry.com) include the Ohio Marriage Abstracts, 1970, 1972–2007, which show an index entry [4] confirming the marriage. The marriage likely took place in northwest Ohio. Accessing the marriage record (or license) can provide additional details such as the officiant and witnesses, which might be available via county probate court archives or on FamilySearch’s Ohio county marriage collection.
Children of Olive Elston
Olive and Edwin Elston had three children, as noted in her obituary:
- Carl Elston – Son, listed with wife Shannon and residing in Marion, Ohio.
- Kristina Waltmire – Daughter (presumably born Kristina Elston), listed with husband Patrick Waltmire and residing in Van Wert, Ohio.
- Bobbi Elston – Daughter, listed with partner Jarod Feasby and residing in Monroeville, Indiana.
Olive had twelve grandchildren at the time of her passing.
Parents and Siblings
Father: Gale Lloyd Mansfield – Born January 7, 1936 in Defiance, Ohio, died August 6, 2004 in Sherwood, Ohio. A U.S. Army veteran. See obituary [5] (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fortwayne/name/gale-mansfield-obituary?id=27363612) and Find a Grave memorial [6] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141026756/gale-l_-mansfield).
Mother: Ina M. (Olsen) Mansfield – Listed as surviving in 2018. Marriage record with Gale likely from mid-1950s.
Siblings:
- Gale W. Mansfield – Brother, married to Karen, living in Defiance, OH.
- Deborah Kay Smallback – Sister, married to Melvin, living in Fort Wayne, IN.
- Laura Jane Shaw – Sister, married to James, living in Sherwood, OH.
Deceased Brothers:
- Conrad James Mansfield – Infant brother.
- Conrad A. Mansfield – Born 1963, died 2009. Obituary [7] (https://www.oberlinturnbull.com/obituary/conrad-mansfield), buried in Wiltsie Cemetery.
Death, Burial, and Cemetery Records
Death Record: Olive’s death on September 16, 2018 in Van Wert County is indexed in Ancestry’s Ohio Death Records [8] and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI).
Burial: Wiltsie Cemetery, Payne, Ohio. Find a Grave Memorial [3].
Father-in-law Edward Isaac Elston, also buried there [9] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183096436/donald_d_elston).
Local obituary archives may be found at Brumback Library, Van Wert, or Paulding County Carnegie Library.
Additional Research Resources
- Ancestry.com – Marriage & death indexes, Find a Grave Index, U.S. Public Records Index.
- FamilySearch.org – SSDI, Ohio Marriage records, collaborative tree [10].
- FindAGrave.com – Includes Olive and related family memorials.
- Local Societies – Paulding County Genealogical Society, Van Wert County Historical Society.
- Ohio Obituary Index – Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library [11].
Gravestone and Probate Records
Check Van Wert or Paulding County probate court for estate documents. Olive’s headstone is at Wiltsie Cemetery.
Summary
Olive Elston’s genealogical trail is rich with records across Defiance, Paulding, and Van Wert counties. Key sources include obituaries, cemetery records, Ohio vital indexes, and Ancestry/FamilySearch databases.
Sources
- Den Herder Funeral Home Obituary
- Legacy.com Memorial
- Find A Grave – Olive E. Mansfield Elston
- Ancestry.com – Ohio Marriage Abstracts
- Legacy.com – Gale Mansfield
- Find a Grave – Gale L. Mansfield
- Oberlin-Turnbull – Conrad Mansfield
- Ancestry.com – Ohio Death Records
- Find A Grave – Donald D. Elston
- FamilySearch.org – Mansfield/Olsen Tree
- Rutherford B. Hayes Ohio Obituary Index
