Elda Woodroffe, 108 years, of rural Denmark, Iowa died Thursday, May 8, 2025, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington, Iowa.

She was born at home in Des Moines County on September 24, 1916, a daughter of Herman and Emma (Wagner) Hasenclever who were second-generation German immigrants. Their home was the same one her father was born in; a stone house built by Dr. Edwin James, a botanist who was on the Zebulon Pike expedition. She attended school until the 8th grade, first at Eureka where her mother had attended, and then finishing at Rock Spring. She walked a mile and a half to school over two creeks, and eight fences.

She lived with her family in the stone house until WWII when the government requisitioned the property, near the Army Ammunition Plant. They got the property back after the war, but their stone home had been destroyed. In later years her family continued to visit and have picnics at the site of their old home.

She moved to Fort Madison and got a job at the Shaeffer Pen Factory making 25 cents an hour in 1943. She first worked in the Script Department where they bottled ink, and later moved to the Holder Department where she put the lever on fountain pens. Occasionally she and her friends would walk across town to get ice cream.

On May 17, 1949, she married Glenn Woodroffe at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. She moved to rural Denmark and Randolph was born in 1951; Jeanne, Reginald, Kerry, and Anita then followed. She was a homemaker, and she stayed busy with her family and community. She kept a large garden, canned, made clothes, and crocheted. She baked the bread for her family every week for nearly 50 years.  Elda was a 4-H leader for 10 years, and for many years she was a member of Women's Farm Bureau, Denmark Senior Citizens, T.T.T., and Denmark Congregational United Church of Christ Church Circles.

She was proud of her family, noting that at least one family member had become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, Army officer, Airman, computer technician, farmer, lumberman, and world traveler. She remained active and supportive in the lives of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, attending countless concerts, ball games, and graduations.

She enjoyed staying connected with everyone by getting a tablet and a Facebook account in 2015, never afraid to try new things. She traveled to 49 states with the one exception being Hawaii. For her 100th birthday, thanks to the advent of Twitter, she was invited to attend a Toby Keith concert and meet the singer himself. In total, she attended eight Toby Keith concerts with her daughter Anita, after turning the age of 89.

In her 108 years, she lived through two pandemics and saw 19 U.S. presidents. She sent letters to her brothers fighting in WWII, and called her grandchildren on cell phones during the Global War on Terror. She walked through pastures to get to school and flew on airplanes to visit family.  She was loved, fearless and resilient, and an inspiration to many.

She is survived by her children: Randolph (Janice) Woodroffe and Kerwin Woodroffe, both of Denmark; Jeanne Woodroffe and Reginald Woodroffe, both of Des Moines, Iowa, and Anita Woodroffe, of Atkins, Iowa; four grandchildren: Nicole (Jeffrey) Blumenauer, Royce (Lisa) Woodroffe; Alexander and Gunnar Erickson; great grandchildren: Julia, James, Beauregard, Graham, Wilhelmina, Montgomery, and Ella;  nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, seven siblings: Harlan Hasenclever, Everett Hasenclever, Delbert Hasenclever, Calvin Hasenclever, Lelia Hasenclever, Leona Wilbert, Velma Johnson, and two infant sisters.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 am on Monday May 12, 2025, at the Barr Memorial Chapel, Fort Madison, Iowa.  Her funeral service will follow and begin at 11:00 am, Monday May 12, 2025, at the Barr Memorial Chapel, with Reverend Chad Savage officiating.  A memorial has been established, and contributions may be made at the Barr Memorial Chapel.  Barr Memorial Chapel is honored to serve the Woodroffe family and an online guest book may be found at www.barrmemorialchapel.com.