Elsie Hyacinth Misiak

Elsie (Russell) Misiak

3/8/1929 - 12/27/2024

Born of British and French descent, in the British West Indies on March 8, 1929. 

Elsie’s family moved to Jamaica when she was very young, she grew up living an Island life among the swaying coconut trees. After becoming a young adult, her father decided it was time for her to get an education in the U.S.

Soon after Elsie arrived in the U.S., she realized she loved it and invited her family to make a change, leave the Island and move to the U.S. too. By the early 50’s her entire family, parents and 5 siblings joined her in Newark, NJ where she eventually met her husband Eugene Misiak and they married in 1954. 

One year later, Elsie gave birth to her firstborn daughter, Gail. Once again, she had the urge to move, this time to a warmer climate, she was missing the warm island temperatures she was familiar with as a girl. Gene, Elsie and daughter Gail moved to southern California which was more comparable to the warm climate she grew up in. 

Planting themselves in Southern California was a good thing for her and her new family. It wasn’t long before her parents and 5 siblings also followed her to California. Happy with their move, Elsie and Gene welcomed 3 more children, along with Gail, her children now included Eugene, Jr., Katherine and Patricia. 

In 1969 Elsie, Gene and their four children made one more move to Vancouver, Washington to live a simpler life and enjoy some country living. 

Eventually Elsie and Gene had a house built on 10 acres in Woodland, Washington. It was here where Elsie’s artistic nature flourished as she enjoyed oil painting, gardening, decorating and cooking for her large family. It was a nice place for all her family including the addition of grandchildren to gather and visit. 

Elsie and Gene enjoyed their golden years living a country life for over 20 years until her husband Gene passed away and Elsie made her final move to the Hampton Memory Care Facility in Vancouver, Washington, where she lived until her death at 95 years of age on December 27, 2024. 

Elsie was well loved and cared for by her family from the very beginning and remained so to the end but the memory of her will live on and on. 

Elsie is survived by her sister, Edna, and her brother, Jimmy; 

her 4 children, Gail, Eugene, Jr., Katherine, and Patricia; 

her 11 grandchildren, Bradley, Jennifer, Jimmy, Brian, Brandon, Jacob, Jonathan, Tyler, Ashley, Alex, and Ariana; 

and her 10 Great Grandchildren, Kylianna, Mahaila, Khalijah, Lucas, Landon, Ariel, Wyatt, Lachlan, Ella, and Hunter.