Tribute: Elsie Connolly

Elsie Connolly, a member of Westport Corps for 85 years, was promoted to Glory on 8 April 2026, aged 92 years old. As a young soldier, Elsie was a Sunday school teacher and played tenor horn in the band. At age 21, she left for Wellington to work at the Florence Booth Children’s Home. She met her husband-to-be, Alex, and they moved to Westport, raising five children. From 1993, Elsie was a community aged-care worker, supporting elderly in their homes and rest homes, and helping them access services in Westport and Greymouth. For some years she ran the foodbank and the Good Companions and Friendship Club. In her late 60s, Elsie trained with The Salvation Army in the victim support programme and assisted as a court worker. Elsie said she was ‘grateful to have something to do and to make so many friends doing it’. She received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in 2001 for her service to the Westport community. Over the years, Elsie made many cherished friends. Her kitchen table, teapot, baking and jam warmly welcomed too many to count. Elsie has been a cherished pillar of the Westport Corps and community, and will be remembered for her lifetime of selfless service and her heart that reached across generations. Well done, good and faithful servant!

By Anne Townend