Since 1992 when her neighbor in Montrose moved to Clarewood House, Elaine has been fortunate to have the opportunity to share music with her many friends there. Clarewood House is a retirement community in Sharpstown. Her close friend and neighbor died December 29, 2000 at the age of 96. Elaine began to lead the hymn singing that had been established over twenty years ago by Louise Johnson, when both Louise and her close friend Pat Ball became ill. Pat had always led and Louise played hymns from memory because her eye-sight was poor. She died January 4th of this year at the age of 94. Pat died over Thanksgiving. This was a tremendous loss of close personal friends, but carrying on their ministry was the best gift to their memory that could be made. An average of 50 residents gather around the piano every Sunday night to sing hymns for 30 minutes or so, always ending with everyone standing who can, and holding hands singing “God be with you til we meet again.” Helen Axelson, whose 96th birthday is in May is alternating playing the hymns from notebooks called “The Louise Johnson Collection” which Elaine put together from Louise’s song sheets of the old hymns that were loved by all. Elaine and her friend Marcia prepare programs of musical theatre and early 20th century popular music for Saturday presentations 3-4 times per year.
On the first Wednesdays Elaine plays flute accompaniment and sings for Highland Convalescent Center with the Trinity Women’s Club, and when possible on Thursday afternoons, she sings and plays flute for Lexington Nursing Center and Hampton Retirement Center with friends from Gethsemane Lutheran Church.
Although Sunday evening is the most special time of the week for Elaine, she has been an attorney with JPMorganChase for eighteen years. She is active with Partners in the Community, and serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Chase PRIDE team for Houston. She is co-chairing AIDS Walk 2008 for Chase-Houston which will be held March 9. Her personal goal is to raise $10,000 of the $1,000,000 sought to be raised through the AIDS Walk to help those living with AIDS and those in need of end of life care. Elaine and her daughter Barbara volunteer at Omega House, an eight bed AIDS hospice run by Bering Omega Community Services which is also supported by the AIDS Walk. Click here for more on the AIDS Walk,