Elke Gagnon

Elke Gagnon (Weidt), 77 years old, died October 21st, 2021, at Exeter Hospital in Exeter NH. She was born in Hamburg Germany, the daughter of Heinrich Herman Ernst Weidt and Wilma (Weidt) Salewsky. She was the wife to Russell Gagnon for 22 years.

She grew up in Germany completing the German schooling system and then trained to be a Clerical Assistant for 2 years, passing the government exams with flying colors. She traveled through Germany, Europe and England with her Sister Jutta (Weidt) Prus both by bike and hitch-hiking. In March 1956, Elke and Jutta’s mother Wilma Weidt got divorced and later remarried Kurt Salewsky in December of 1960. In 1963, Elke decided to study English to further her education and went to school while working as an Au-Pair girl for families in Salisbury and London. Her sister followed her there for the last year before returning to Hamburg in 1966. They then did the same Au-Pair work for a family in Paris, France for 9 months before returning to Germany and further continuing their education in Berlin. They both found clerical jobs working on U.S. Military Bases in Berlin, Germany during Vietnam Era where she met Russell Gagnon at the U.S. Military Headquarters in Berlin. After Russell’s military deployment, Elke and Russell were married in a double wedding with her sister Jutta and Michael Prus of Australia in Hamburg in July of 1970. After the birth of their first son, Russell and Elke moved to the U.S. to Glastonbury, CT to raise their family. After 22 years of marriage, they did divorce but remained loyal friends throughout her lifetime. She attained certificates through community college through the years and became a Computer Programmer for the Hartford Insurance Group where she worked until her retirement. Following her retirement, she moved to Leland, NC until finally moving to Raymond, NH in 2010 to be closer to her 2 sons as her grandchildren were being born.

Elke loved to hike, kayak, camp, and travel. She was an avid gymnast in her youth through her early 40’s. In her youth she was even invited to try out for the German Olympic team. After her children went on to college, she was active in a CT hiking group where she made many dear friends and discovered a love for kayaking. She traveled throughout the U.S. visiting many national parks with close friends over the years. For many years after retirement until 2016, she would travel to Australia for up to 3 months at a time once a year to visit her mother and sister. She celebrated her mother’s 103 birthday the last time she was there. Her mother passed at 106 years old. Elke had a passion for seeing and discovering new places with the friends she had made over a lifetime.

Elke was predeceased by her youngest son Derek Gagnon who passed in January of 2019 in tragic car crash. She is survived by her ex-husband Russell Gagnon and his partner Yolande Graham of Greenville, ME. Her son Patrick Gagnon and his children Shaelin and Quinten of Brentwood, NH and their mother, Lindsey Gagnon. Her daughter in-law Erin Huot (widow of Derek Gagnon), her son Aidan Santillan, and their daughter Bria Gagnon of Washington, NH. In Australia, she was predeceased by her mother Wilma Salewsky in 2019 and survived by her sister Jutta Prus and her husband Michael Prus and their children Christian and Nicholas Prus.

Services will be held at 1pm on Saturday, December 11th at the Cremation Society of New Hampshire at 243 Hanover St in Manchester, NH. Calling hours will be from 1pm till 2:30pm. Service to begin in their chapel at 3pm for those that would like to attend, followed by snacks\drinks and time to share memories until concluding at 6pm. All family and friends are invited to attend. Interment will follow in the spring of 2022 as she wanted to be buried with son Derek Gagnon at Shirley Hill Cemetery in Goffstown, NH.

Donations can be made in Elke Gagnon’s name to Beyond the Rainbow:
https://www.exeterhospital.com/About-Us/Fundraisin...
There is a drop down under “Direct My Gift To” and you can select Beyond the Rainbow.

Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of New Hampshire, Manchester. To view Elke’s Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.