Joanne Hope Moerkirk Obituary

Joanne Hope Moerkirk attended Skaneateles High School in Skaneateles, NY. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Joanne Hope Moerkirk.

Graduation Year	Class of 1956
Date of Passing	Dec 03, 2024
About	SENECA FALLS – Joanne (Moerkirk) Elyseev, 85, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at Geneva General Hospital. Every winter when the Christmas tree was about to be set, a small white box would arrive in the mail like clockwork addressed from the Danbury Mint. "Grandmama's ornament is here!" Upon unwrapping, the most glorious gold keepsake you ever did see would emerge. How did someone craft and capture this holiday magic; so delicate, so unique, so detailed, so shimmery? It was a right of passage placing it near its previous years' collection on the balsam fir. Catching its reflection would cause you to pause for just a moment and cherish the season, the tradition, the gift-giver: Joanne Hope Moerkirk Elyseev. Joanne embodies the spirit of giving: firework musical birthday candles, the latest "As Seen on TV" cooking gadget, heartfelt selected cards inscribed with fond play-by-play memories of your birthday, and bright pink and yellow marshmallow Peeps, are just a sampling of what would arrive at your door. If you were blessed by her company, she would arrive donned in her favorite holiday sweater/jewelry combination, usually carrying her famous homemade "3AM" apple and pecan pies layered in that signature vintage orange, green, and white flowered pie rack with the secured metal hinged handle. Joanne didn't want to miss out on any family gathering driving 6-10 hours with stops along the way to reach her favorite Ocean Grove, N.J. destination. She took her time moving at her own pace, hanging the laundry with clothespins out to dry in the summer wind, making latch-hook rugs for that special someone, darning socks and shirts for her family and the needy, shopping for craft supplies, stopping for a mocha frappe, rolling out dough for her latest delicacy, baking her famous meatloaf and sauce as comfort food for others, watching her "soaps", planting and pruning while humming harmonies along with the birds to her favorite songs. Joanne's garden was her sanctuary and every plant and creature called her "friend". As for family, she has quite the story. Born in Point Pleasant, N.J. and shortly thereafter adopted by Wilma (Veenstra) Moerkirk and Samuel Moerkirk, Joanne was raised as an only child surrounded by extended family members. She was named after her Aunt Johanna Veenstra, the first female Christian Reformed missionary to serve overseas in Nigeria. Joanne graduated from Skaneateles High School and attended Keuka College, N.Y. earning her degree. One afternoon while traveling, Joanne stopped along the Massachusetts Turnpike at a Howard Johnson rest stop to eat. It was there that she met George Elyseev, another only child of a family steeped in Russian history. They struck up a lasting conversation and arranged for a date when they would both be arriving back in Boston. Joanne and George continued their courtship and years later were married on June 8, 1963 in Ocean Grove, N.J. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. They lived together in Boston until George was transferred with his sales position to Fremont, California and then Boonton and Neptune, N.J., finally settling in Seneca Falls, N.Y. while summering in Ocean Grove, N.J. During these years, Joanne and George's family grew to include Andre, Georgeanne, Paul, and Eric. Joanne found great joy in raising her children creating lifetime memories together while camping in the VW bus, swimming at the North End Ocean Grove beach and pool, cheering each of them on in their numerous after-school activities, listening to the stories of George's family history on repeat, participating in "Meals on Wheels", singing in the choirs, playing her favorite songs on the piano, and ringing church bells. Joanne and George were staple members of their Seneca Falls church community and developed deep friendships with families of the congregation for over 50 years. Although Joanne dealt with a rare lymphatic cancer for a significant portion of her adult life, she rallied beyond with grace and remained steadfast in her commitment to her family as Mom, wife, and sister-friend. Her "girls" will recall the many laughs they shared at gatherings, rehearsals, and road trips over the course of their bonds and state lines. "Oh, my word!" she would often exclaim when listening intently to stories of what her daughter and sons' families were up to next. Joanne also traveled internationally and even accompanied George in 2002 by invite-only to the Kuban Region of Russia in celebration of George's father's life at the museum there. Joanne now rejoices in eternity with George, family, friends, and finally reunited with her beloved son, Andre, whom she missed dearly every day while apart. She leaves us her legacy of appreciating the delicate nature of each season, valuing traditions of family, and that unforgettable shimmer of hope in her deep-dimpled smile. Joanne is survived by her daughter, Georgeanne (Donald Hauf); sons, Paul (Julie Gannon) and Eric (Christine Murawski); and grandchildren, Justin (Caitlin Dakin), Amanda, Desmond and Ava; and great-grandchildren, William, Rylie, and Aubry.