Elaine Pipes died Tue, Oct 29, 2024, at the age of 81, after a long
battle with dementia. She is survived by her sisters Jane Zyk and Linda
Burmeister, her son Jerry Pipes, and two grandchildren. She is preceded
in death by her parents, Alvin Burmeister and Ellen (Fedder) Burmeister,
and her husband Larry Pipes.
Elaine was born on May 8, 1943 and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. After
graduating from Beaumont High School in 1961, Elaine held jobs at Otis
Elevator and Hussmann Refrigerator. At that time, she and her friends
enjoyed spending time at the “circle” Steak N Shake, located on a
roundabout on Halls Ferry Road in north St. Louis. It was at this
popular hangout that she met her husband, Larry. They were married in
Oct 1966 at Markus Lutheran Church.
Elaine was a creative soul, always indulging her passions for art,
writing, and interior decorating. Her oil paintings are still treasured
family keepsakes. As a devoted stay-at-home mom, she passed her
creativity on to her only child. When her “baby boy” left home for the
Marine Corps, Elaine and Larry purchased a motorhome so they could
pursue their shared love of traveling, with trips to New England,
Florida, and New Mexico among their favorites. She also worked for a
couple of years as a volunteer docent at the St. Louis Science Center.
In 1993, Larry and Elaine bought a 1905 two-story Victorian house in
O’Fallon, Illinois and began the long process of restoring it. Elaine
enjoyed the work of designing and decorating the interior of the house,
and making the house into a home. They sold their house in north St.
Louis County and moved to O’Fallon in May 2000, and a few years later,
grandkids came along and the O’Fallon home played host to family
birthday and Christmas gatherings. Larry and Elaine also joined the
nearby Oakhill Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Elaine is buried in the Pipes family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery in
Butler, MO. She will truly be missed by her family and friends.
Leave a Reply