A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 7, at 3 pm at Lynchwood Church of God, Portland, Oregon for Elva L. Fagan of Portland, Oregon. Click here for a map to the church

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Elva died of congestive heart failure on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at her skilled nursing facility. She was 80 years old.

Elva Louise Kniskern was born on June 21, 1936 in Gloversville, New York, to Leon Frederick Kniskern and Alice Edith (Hill)Kniskern.  She was the oldest daughter and the second of 6 children.  She lived in Gloversville until 1941 when her family began their trip west.  They made a stop in Mt. View, Arkansas before continuing on to Eureka, California.  In 1945, Elva and her family moved to Stockton, California, where she spent the rest of her childhood.  In 1951, the family made another move, this time north to Oregon, and they settled in Grants Pass, where Elva graduated from high school in 1954. Their final move as a family occurred in 1954, when they came to Estacada, Oregon. At that time, Elva entered her freshman year at Pacific Bible College (now known as Warner Pacific College) in Portland, Oregon.  Elva attended Pacific Bible College from 1954-1956.

After her time in college, Elva began working as a waitress in the coffee shop at the downtown Portland Meier Frank (now Macy’s).  It was while working there that she met her future husband, Richard P. Fagan. They were married on July 16, 1960, at the First Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon. As young newlyweds, Elva and Richard moved to Stockton, California, but returned to the Portland area in time for the birth of their first child, a daughter named Cynthia, born in November 1961.  Their second child, a son named Byron, followed in November of 1962.  The family lived in the Lake Grove neighborhood of Lake Oswego, Oregon during this time.  Elva worked as a housekeeper for several families in the area while Richard was a locksmith.

In 1972, Elva and the children moved to Portland, with another move in 1973 to Vancouver, Washington that reunited the family. In 1974 the couple separated again and later, during the early 1980’s, Elva and Richard were divorced.  During the rest of her years in Vancouver, Elva was a single mother who worked hard to provide for her family.  She was also a devoted member of the Vancouver First Church of God, where singing in the choir was one of her favorite activities.

Around 1982, Elva moved to Aloha, Oregon, and began working for Brink’s Home Security.  In 1985 she left Oregon for Dallas, Texas in order to continue her career with Brink’s.  A couple of years later, her son Byron and then her mother and youngest sister followed her to Dallas area.  It was during these years that Elva became grandmother to Caitlin, Spencer and Daylin.

In 2000, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing bypass surgery, Elva decided to retire and move back to the Portland area. She was joined by her son Byron. She then suffered a stroke and the resulting disability required a higher level of care, so after about a year of rehab at various facilities, she entered an assisted living community in Clackamas, Oregon where she resided for approximately 10 years. During this time, in spite of numerous medical setbacks, she enjoyed attending Lynchwood Church of God, playing bingo and going on family outings.  In 2015 Elva was moved to the skilled nursing facility where she resided at the time of her death.

Elva will be remembered for her deep, abiding faith and her stubborn, tenacious will to live.  In the end, however, she finally answered her Savior’s call to come home.

Elva is preceded in death by her parents Leon and Alice, and her older brother Leon Herbert Kniskern.  She is survived by her brothers Lawrence Kniskern and Clifford Kniskern, her sisters Beverly Powers and Shirley Wilson, her daughter and son-in-law Cynthia and Bernie Buckle, her son Byron Fagan, her grandchildren Caitlin, Spencer, Amanda and Daylin Buckle, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Elva’s memory may be made to benefit Camp White Branch, in care of Lynchwood Church of God.

The family wishes to thank OMEGA Burial and Cremation Service for their compassionate assistance during this difficult time.