Elfryda "Elfie" Florek
April 20, 1926 ~ December 29, 2018
Elfryda “Elfie” Florek, 92, of Bloomington, Indiana passed away peacefully on December 29, 2018. Elfie was born on April 20, 1926 to the late Mr. and Mrs. Kossmann in Schlesien, Germany. In 1954 Elfie married Jan S. Florek. They fled Poland in 1961 to escape communism. When they arrived in the United States they only had a bag of oranges and $2 to their names. The Floreks settled in New Jersey for a short stint before permanently settling in Terre Haute, Indiana. Elfie officially became a United States citizen in 1968.
Elfie was very musically talented. Before arriving in the United States, she obtained a PhD in music this led to her career as a professor of voice at both Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana and at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois. Beloved by many of her students, Elfie taught voice lessons privately for a number of years. She was a very accomplished opera singer singing coloratura soprano.
Along with her parents and husband, Elfie is preceded in death by one brother, two sisters, and one great granddaughter.
Survivors include her son, Michael J. (Nadine) Florek, four grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate Elfie’s life on Sunday, January 13, 2018 in the Daniel F. O’Riley Funeral Home, 6107 South East Street, Indianapolis from 12:00 P.M. until 2:00 P.M. with the memorial service beginning at 2:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Inurnment of Elfie’s cremated remains will take place at Valhalla Cemetery in Bloomington, Indiana at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations be made in Elfie’s honor to the music departments at both Indiana State University and Lincoln Trail College; envelopes will be provided at the funeral home. Please visit www.orileyfuneralhome.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
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Elfie was a wonderful friend and will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
My name is Anna and I have met Elfie in my volunteer work in Bloomington and we connected by our knowledge of languages. One of Elfie’s Friends knew I spoke German so she invited me to visit her and to my surprise she also spoke to me in my mother tongue – Polish! We enjoyed afternoons listening to beautiful classic music in both of those languages often she enjoyed it so much that made her tear up. She thoroughly enjoyed sharing her life experience with me each time we visited. On our last visit on December 19th 2018 we listened to a song entitled “Be courageous” which Elfie loved, it talked how Jehovah God never forgets us and always is by our side along with words from Isiah 41:9,10. She will always remain a dear friend and we look forward to seeing her soon again. Sending our sincere condolences to the family.
A short amount of words can never express how very special this wonderful lady, human being, teacher, friend, and mentor has been to me for over 50 years. She has touched my soul deeper than I knew I had one. My prayers for her and her family, with gratitude and love. I can only imagine how happy she must now be with “her Jon.” Rebecca Smith
She was my vocal instructor at LTC. So patient, so loving. She shared a little of her experience during WWII, and in sharing helped me better understand her challenges during that awful time. We were blessed to have her at LTC. I will remember her with fondness and admiration.
Elfie was my vocal instructor here at Lincoln Trail College; she definitely ‘found’ my voice. She became a very good friend; she came to the house for dinner and we shared and laughed a lot. I loved her!!! I know she will be greatly missed.
Elfie was a treasured friend and teacher whose influence on those who knew her went far beyond music. The story of her life was of heroic actions to survive in both a war torn Germany and arriving in the U.S. where she became proficient in English as well as having six other languages at her command. She was faced with near blindness because of macular degeneration, a person for whom reading was so important, and faced this situation with her usual well this will not define me attitude. But where to begin, where to stop when it comes to relating all that Elfie was, experienced. Elfie and John did everything but build their own homes to doing what ever it took to having a good living and contributing in such meaningful ways to this country. Truly, every cent they earned was through the sweat of their brows and intelligence put to full good use. Missing a very dear friend, Elaine Gareis
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. Please read Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength. A help that is readily found in times of distress.” Tricia
I was one of her first vocal students when she lives on Barbour Ave. in Terre Haute. I was 15 at the time. I went on to major in Music at ISU all the while studying with Mrs. Florek. I gave a Jr. and Sr. recital under her instruction. She was very generous with her time and instilled in me a great love for beautiful singing.