Obituary of Elsa Nittka Kiepert

Elsa Nittka Kiepert of Rome, NY passed away May 8, 2025, in Rome NY. Born on August 2, 1927, in Rome, New York, she was the daughter of Paul and Helen Grimm Nittka and sister of Karl Nittka, who all were active members of Trinity Church. A lifetime member of Trinity, Elsa, was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Church and later was married to Gunter Kiepert on August 6, 1956. Elsa and Gunter shared a blessed union until his passing in 2017.

While growing up, Elsa was a member of Trinity's Girl Scout Troop 12 from 1938 to 1945, serving as the troop treasurer for several years. She also served as Inter-Church Youth Council's secretary in 1950. She attended thimble club with her mother, and was a member of the Ladies Aid Society, Home Bureau, walked in several Crop walks, served on the church council and as the financial secretary. She assisted with the many Trinity Church suppers, made decorations for the card party fund raisers and worked with her father during his service as janitor of the church for 22 years from 1934 to 1956.

Elsa was a member of African Violet Societies in the Copper City, New York State and National organizations. She went to judging school and earned a lifetime judging certificate and judged at African Violet conventions throughout the northeast.

One of Elsa's hobbies was collecting fabric, which began when she was only three years old. As a child, while staying with her grandmother, Emma Ruff Grimm, a professional seamstress, and another Trinity member, she learned and practiced various needlework stitches until she mastered the 10 stitches per inch, which her grandmother insisted she learn.

Under her grandmother's strict instruction, Elsa learned to sew, knit, crochet, embroider tat and huck-weave. Later in life, Elsa's craft interests expanded including projects in seashell art, coin art, beading, jewelry art, traditional rug hooking, rug braiding, collecting and using buttons for crafts, collecting Christmas trees, collecting post cards, latch hooking and quilting.

Traveling has also been part of Elsa's life. Her treks began with many visits to her aunt's home in Muskegon, Michigan in a model A Ford in the 1920's on unpaved roads and continued those family trips to Michigan through the 1980's. As automobiles and roads improved, she traveled up and down the Eastern seaboard numerous times from the 1940's to today with Sanibel Island, Florida as one of her favorite vacation spots. She has journeyed by train to many youth church events throughout New York State in the 1940' s and she thoroughly enjoyed flying within the United States to various destinations and to Germany visiting relatives in 1980 and 1982.

Elsa's greatest joy throughout all her various interests and hobbies is the design aspect when preparing for a new project, whether it is mapping out a vacation destination or creating a new quilt.

Elsa is survived by her daughter Melody Kiepert Milewski; son Paul Kiepert; grandchildren Kelly (Chris) Carinci, Christine Rudd, and Michelle (Felix) Colosimo; great grandchildren Rhiannon Rudd (Tommy All), Hunter Rudd (Tori Warner). Jack Rigo, Conner Carinci, Avery Carinci, Christopher Carinci, Allidy Yoxall, Madelyn Colosimo, Cooper Colosimo. She was predeceased by her husband Gunter Kiepert; brother Karl Nittka; son in law Michael Milewski; daughter in law Martha Kiepert.

Memorial contributions in Elsa’s memory can be made to Trinity Church 215, West Court Street, Rome, N.Y. 13440

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday May 17, 2025, at Trinity Church at 10 A.M. Funeral services are entrusted to Strong-Burns & Sprock Funeral Home.

The service will be available on Zoom for viewing. The meeting number is 89200823807 and the passcode is 018938