Elda Ione Leslie Scholarship

The life of Elda Ione Leslie was one of loving and tireless service to her family, her church and her profession as a social worker.

Elda was born in Brookings, South Dakota, and grew up on the family farm just outside of town. As a young adult, she left to go to college, graduating from Augustana College in 1947 with a degree in social work. After graduation she worked in both Sioux Falls and Chicago, helping to place children in adoptive and foster homes.

In 1950, Elda met and married Warren Leslie, a mechanical engineer. The couple subsequently moved to Southern California. Elda soon put her education to work as wife and mother to three children—Ruth, Paul and Lois. While raising her family, Elda also served for 14 years as director of parish education at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawthorne. When the family moved to Costa Mesa in 1975, Elda returned to social work with Lutheran Social Services. During that time she also helped with the resettlement of refugees in Orange County. Elda was always an active volunteer, using both her training and her talents to serve wherever she was needed.

When Elda died of cancer in 1995, she left behind a loving family and a host of friends who considered her life as their special blessing. It was her younger daughter Lois, a remarkable CLU alumna from the class of 1981, who honored her mother by creating and endowing this scholarship. Lois was successful in gaining the support of her brother and sister in the effort.

Lois wanted the criteria for the Elda Ione Leslie Scholarship to reflect her mother’s life of devoted service. She ultimately chose to designate the scholarship for an upper-division Lutheran student who is also preparing for a life of service. In this case “service” is to be considered in a fairly broad sense to include preparation for social work, parish ministry and/or seminary work.