Obituary: Marie Michelle Payne Elmore, 76, New Haven

Marie Michelle Payne Elmore, 76, of New Haven, died Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, at Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown.

She was born in Owensboro to the late Drury Ignatius and Willie Mae Payne.

MARIE MICHELL PAYNE ELMORE

She was a Catholic by faith and a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Church in New Hope where she was a Eucharistic Minister, lector, and religious education teacher. She was a member of the Starry Night Performance Cast, and served on the church bereavement committee. She was active in the New Hope Food Bank. She was a graduate of Western Kentucky University where she earned a master’s degree in education and retired as a teacher in the Nelson County Schools.

She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 121 and served in unit, district and department positions including service on many committees. Some of the offices she held included: unit president for many years; seven terms as 4th District president; and deartment historian, chaplin, 2nd vice president, first vice president, department president 1996-97 and also as National Executive Committee Woman. She also served as director of Kentucky Girls State.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Elmore; and one brother, Charles Augustine Payne.

Survivors include three sons, Joseph Richard “Rick” Elmore (Melissa) of New Haven, James Raffo Elmore (Blesilda) and Patrick Edwin Elmore, both of Bardstown; one sister, Patricia Ann “Pat” Buie of Bardstown; two brothers, William Thomas “Tommy” Payne of Bowling Green and James Carroll Payne of Florence; seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

The funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb.8, 2014, at the St. Catherine Catholic Church in New Haven with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Ken Fortener will officiate.

Visitation is 3-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 and 8-9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at the Joseph L. Greenwell Funeral Home in New Haven. A prayer service is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, and a memorial service by the American Legion Auxiliary is 6 p.m.

The Joseph L. Greenwell Funeral Home, 324 E. Center Street, New Haven, is in charge of arrangements.

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