Ruth Elaine Reeves, age 81 of Monroe, passed away on Friday, September 29, 2023 at The Comfort House in Pella. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 10:30 am at the Presbyterian Church in Monroe. Burial will follow at Silent City Cemetery. The family will greet friends back at the church at a luncheon. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Monroe Fire and Rescue or the Monroe Public Library. Condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com

The daughter of Ben and Irma Nelle (Honnold) Van Wyk, Elaine was born on March 12, 1942 in Monroe. She graduated from Monroe High School in 1960 and attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant for a year. On October 20, 1961, she was united in marriage to Bernie Reeves at the Presbyterian Church in Monroe. As a child, Elaine preferred to be outside working on the farm with her dad. This love of the outdoors remained constant as she worked on her and Bernie's farm. She had her own tractor, her own riding mower (and you better not mow 'her' section of the yard!) as well as rode her own motorcycle for years.

She was a very good basketball player in high school and in college. She enjoyed attending the Iowa girls' state high school basketball tournaments with her sisters Phyllis and Bonnie yearly at "The Barn", and loved watching the Iowa Hawkeye women play.

Elaine camped at the Iowa State Fair for over 50 years and enjoyed camping at Robert's Creek with many Monroe friends. Trips to Elkader for trout fishing were a highlight in the fall.

Family was very important to her. She rarely missed a game, a concert, or an event involving one of her children. When her grandchildren came along, she attended as many activities as she could. She loved spending time with the grandkids and having family together.

All in all, she had a life well lived.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband, Bernie; children, Chris (Nicole) Reeves and Kelley (John) McGowan; grandchildren, Sam (Sarah) Reeves, Emma (Michael) Minard, Caleb Reeves, Jonah (Ashley) Reeves, Elise (Hope) Reeves, Jamin Reeves, Gabe Reeves, and Mercy Reeves; great grandchildren, Arianna, Jaxson, Natalie, Josephine, and Quentin; a sister, Bonnie (Frank) Sloan and a brother-in-law, Clarence Frazier. Preceding her in death were her parents, a grandson, Zeke Reeves; a sister, Phyllis Frazier and a brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Joan Van Wyk.