Elaine Kearin

Elaine Kearin, age 102, of Madison, died on Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at Bethel Lutheran Home in
Madison.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:30 PM on Saturday, December 30 th at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Church with Father Anthony Urban as the Celebrant. Visitation will be 5-7 PM on Friday at the church
with a prayer service at 7 PM. Visitation will continue on Saturday one hour prior to mass. Burial will be
in St. Thomas Cemetery. Online guestbook is at www.rustandweilandfuneral.com.

Elaine Regina Mulvihill was born at home on August 5, 1921, near Ramona, SD to John & Esther (Becker)
Mulvihill. Her family lived in Farmington Township and she attended the Witt country school. She then
attended Eastern State Normal High School until tragedy struck. Her mother died on January 7, 1935, so
Elaine, who was only fourteen at the time, stayed home to help raise her one-year-old sister, Marlys and
her two-year-old brother, Jerry, along with her three other school-age siblings. She worked at the Cozy
Inn in Madison until her marriage to Sylvester “Sid” Kearin at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in
Madison on September 29, 1941. They moved to California where they lived one year until World War II
when Sid was drafted. After his discharge, they moved back to Madison and four children were born.

Sid & Elaine bought an acreage east of Madison where they raised sheep. Elaine stayed busy with taking
care of the kids, tending a large garden and raising chickens. Elaine worked as an assistant cook at St.
Thomas School for six years and was also a housekeeper at the church for 19 years. She was an active
member of the St. Thomas Altar Society Group II, member of the Home Club, Red Hat Charmers and Cub
Scout Leader.

Some of Elaine’s interests were knitting, crocheting, sewing, playing cards, reading, being with her family
and gardening.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1997; two sons, Pat & Denny; sister,
Margaret; one brother, Gene; granddaughter, Julie and son-in-law, Tom Warren.

Survivors are her daughter-in-law, Judy Kearin of Cold Spring, MN; daughter, Cheryl Warren of Roseville,
MN; daughter-in-law, Donna Kearin of Madison, SD and Mike (Connie) Kearin of Wentworth, SD; 11
grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; siblings-Shirley Wingle of Madison, SD, Jerry Mulvihill of
Madison, SD and Marlys (Jerry) Manthey of Anoka, MN.