03/15/2026
Elaine Opal Houseal, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 15, 2026, at the age of 88.
She was born on April 20, 1937, to Carl Robert and Marie M. (Simmons) Blythe in Mendota, Iowa.Elaine spent her childhood in Iowa, where she attended country school and later high school in Knoxville. Her early years helped shape the strong and resilient woman her family and friends would come to know and love.Elaine married Kenneth Dale Houseal in 1956, beginning a partnership that spanned over five decades.
During their early years, Elaine attended beauty school while Ken pursued barber college, and together they built a life centered on family, faith, and a shared purpose.
She was a dutiful mother to their three children: sons Kevin and Kyle, and daughter Kim, whom they lovingly adopted from Korea. Elaine strived to create a home wherever life took them; from Muscatine and Pella, Iowa, to their final home in Fountain Hills, Arizona.
Faith played an important role in Elaine’s life. She was actively involved in her church communities alongside her husband, including the First Assembly of God, Nazarene Church, and, in her later years, at Cornerstone Family Church in Fountain Hills, AZ. Her quiet presence, kindness, and unwavering support touched many within those communities.
Elaine found her greatest joy in her family; she especially took special pride in her grandchildren, Arthur and Skyler. She especially loved caring for both her grandson’s in their early childhood. Her love and gentle spirit will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Elaine was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Dale Houseal; her parents, Carl and Marie Blythe; her sister, Virginia Van Gorp; and her brother, Harold Blythe.
She is survived by her children, Kevin, Kyle (Talia), and Kim; her grandchildren, Arthur and Skyler.