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Elwin Noah LeFevre was born November 7, 1930 to Noah H and Esther K (Landis) LeFevre in the family home on Freeport Road in Sterling, Illinois. He attended grade school at the East Science Ridge School on Holly Road, a half mile from home and graduated from Sterling Township High School in 1948. He spent one year working on the family farm and then attended Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana, and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies. He registered as a Conscientious Objector and volunteered with Mennonite Central Committee in the PAX program laying brick and block and building homes for refugees in Northern Germany. After 27 months in Germany, he returned to Sterling and worked as an apprentice doing general mill work with Hayden Moore Machine Works. During the three years of machine work, he attended night school at Northern Illinois University where he earned his teaching credentials. There were no teaching jobs available in Illinois, so he signed on with the Arnold Agency in Chicago which placed him in a teaching job in Constantine,. In his 36 years of teaching Social Studies and Science at Constantine Middle School, he also coached Cross Country and drove a school bus for activities. As a coach, he began a Cross Country program for girls and frequently trained by running with his team. The Constantine Cross Country course is named in his honor for his many years of service and coaching. During his summers, he frequently took classes and earned a Master’s of Arts in Teaching degree from Indiana University. After retiring from teaching, he returned to Sterling to assist his younger brother, Bob, in the farming operation. In August of 2020, he moved from the trailer home on the farm to Morningside of Sterling.
Elwin was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Marlin E LeFevre and Robert E LeFevre, and niece Jackie LeFevre.
Elwin is survived by his sister in laws, Lois (Schmitt) LeFevre of Rock Falls, IL, and Carolyn (Main) LeFevre Freas of Goshen. He’s also survived by nieces and nephews Eugene (Sarah) LeFevre, Linda (Kenny) Kessler, Cindy (Robert) Mundt, Peggy LeFevre, Lori (Stacey) Mack, Trudy (The Late Jeff) Tupper, Dennis (Jen) LeFevre, Marcia (Stacey) Friesen, Karen (Calvin) Swartzendruber, and Ronald (Patrice) LeFevre.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7PM on Tuesday August 1, 2023 at Schilling Funeral Home in Sterling, Illinois. Funeral will be at 10AM on Wednesday August 2, 2023 at Science Ridge Mennonite Church in Sterling, with visitation one hour prior from 9 to 10AM. Burial will take place at Science Ridge Mennonite Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to Mennonite Central Committee in care of the funeral home. Burial will be at Science Ridge Mennonite Cemetery, Sterling, Illinois.
