Elizabeth Sophia Curtis, age 90, of Wells, died on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003 at Parkview Care Center in Wells. Funeral Services will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003 at the United Methodist Church in Wells. Rev. Art Keith will officiate. Visitation will be Monday, Oct. 27, 2003 at the Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells from 5-8 p.m. and one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday. Interment will be at Rosehill Cemetery in Wells.

Elizabeth was born on July 5, 1913 in Clark Twp., Faribault Co., Minn., the daughter of Henry and Ethel Elmer. Elizabeth grew up on a farm south of Wells. She attended the Wells Public School, and stayed with her grandparents during the week, because it was too far to travel daily from the farm. She graduated from Wells High School in 1932. After high school she attended the Wells Teacher Training program and graduated in 1933 with a teaching degree. On Aug. 9, 1934, she married Jonas Raiha. From this marriage she has two sons, Larry and Brian. The couple moved to Illinois were they lived for nine years and in 1944, they were divorced. Elizabeth came back to Wells and on May 10, 1946, she married Melvin Curtis, a life-long resident of Wells. To this union she had four children. Elizabeth went back to college and received her BS Degree in elementary education in 1962. After graduation, she took job teaching the third grade in Lake Crystal, where she and Melvin lived until her retirement in 1971. They moved back to Wells to initially take care of her mother, Ethel. Elizabeth remained here after the death of her husband Melvin in 1983. She enjoyed winters in Ocala, Fla. Elizabeth was a lifelong member of the Wells United Methodist Church, the Joy Circle, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Retired Education Association of Minnesota. Elizabeth’s favorite hobby was traveling. She had traveled to almost every state in the United States, plus Canada and Mexico.

She is survived by five children: sons: Larry and his wife Norma Raiha of Woodhaven, Mich., Brian Raiha of Ocala, Fla.; daughters: Kathy and her husband Tony Keenan of Spring Lake Park, Minn., Gloria and her husband Roger Tollefson of Luverne, Minn., Thais and her husband David Stumpf of Webster, N.Y.

Nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Two brothers: John (wife Norma) Elmer of Wells and Robert (wife Laura) Elmer of Wells. Several nieces and nephews

She was preceded in death by her parents, son Darrell in 1956, her husband Melvin in 1983 and sister Margaret in 1984.