Elizabeth Leona Lips was born on Friday June 20th 1919 in Riga Michigan to Caesar Joseph and Marie Sylvia Lips. She was one of four children, the others being Arthur Morris born in 1913, Leslie Joseph born in 1915 and Marcella Florine born in 1923. All of them have preceded her in death and she called herself the last of the Mohicans.
She was a first-generation American, as her folks came through Ellis Island from Belgium.
Her first job was baby-sitting and house cleaning for $1 a week. When she was 18 she also worked at Gilson Hardware Store in Blissfield, Michiganm and sold tools, plows and farm equipment. When she was 26 she worked at a factory in Adrian, Michigan, soldering helmets for World War II soldiers. She was also a seamstress and made jackets in Blissfield.
Growing up on a farm, her most hated chore was picking eggs and feeding the chickens because everything smelled. She never really liked her name and hated being called Lizzie so insisted on being called Elizabeth or Jason (only she knows why).
Even though she only made it through the 10th grade, she took a typing class and got a certificate in child caring. And she was a voracious reader who didn’t have to wear glasses until she was in her 80s but then gradually got macular degeneration.
Elizabeth was 25 when she met Daniel David Prisby at a dance hall on a Saturday night but at the time she was seeing other people so they were just friends until she was about 28. When asked what finally attracted her to him, she said she wanted a good-looking man who could dance, always have money and a job, that could fix things and would love her forever. They got married on July 12th, 1947, and had a big reception at the Breeze Inn at Ottawa Lake. She picked the right man. Their marriage lasted 51 years until Dan passed away in 1998. Their only child, daughter Lynnette Rae, was born December 7, 1949, in Philadelphia. Elizabeth hoped to travel the world while being a Captain’s wife, but after two years in North Carolina and two years in Pennsylvania they ended up moving to Solana Beach, California in 1952. Dan went off to fight the war and Elizabeth ended up with a 2-year-old, no friends, and the worst rainstorm year known to California at the time. Since Friday’s child is loving and giving, she soon made lifelong friends and never regretted moving from Michigan. The family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, for another two years in 1956 and then came back to California.
Elizabeth was an accomplished seamstress, oil painting artist and loved dancing, boogie boarding at the beach (until age 76!) and playing cards. And those that knew her knew about her love of hot sauce and that darn course ground black pepper.
She also loved fishing, camping, baking and gardening. She was very active in the PTA, St. James Academy Mother’s club and helping out at the church doing rummage sales, running the fudge booth and hobnobbing with others from the church, such as Luci and Desi Arnez and Jimmy Durante. She and Dan were members of the Good Sam’s Club and went camping and fishing and across the country many times in their motorhome. They made it to Massachusetts and all the way to British Columbia and all the continental US. Elizabeth always wanted to go to Hawaii and Alaska but time just didn’t allow it. She also loved going to Catalina Island where she and Dan celebrated their 25th anniversary.
Elizabeth had an amazing memory and maintained her sense of humor until the end. She always told her daughter that she just wanted to fall asleep and not wake up. She died at 11:10 pm March 22 of natural causes on her terms. And to those who knew her, she says TallyHo!
Her daughter Lynnette Bordeaux hosted a celebration of life event April 8, 2017 at Palomar Estates East Clubhouse from 1pm to 4pm. 650 Rancho Santa Fe Road San Marcos CA 92078.
In lieu of flowers (if you knew her you knew she was allergic) potted plants or a contribution to Silverado Hospice (silveradocare.com would be appreciated.
Please go to Tributes.com and look for Elizabeth Leona Lips Prisby in CA and add memories, photos and comments to her online tribute.
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