Elena N. Nicholas, 101 of Mason City and formerly of Hampton died Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Heritage Care Center, Mason City.
The family will honor her life in an intimate gathering.
Elena Nicholayevna Miaksina was born in Lgov, Russia in 1924 to Nicholai Miaksin, an accountant and Anna Morosova Miaksina, a teacher. She describes her parents as wonderful people who lived through turbulent political times. She was lovingly and carefully raised in the Greek Orthodox faith. She later joined the Catholic faith community in Hampton, Iowa.
Elena graduated first in her high school class and was a first year student as a German major at Moscow Teacher University when World War II interrupted her studies. She returned home as the Germans were invading the Kursk region of Russia. She was sent to Germany as forced labor and her brother was drafted as a soldier to fight the Germans. She spent four years in Germany often serving as a translator. As the war ended, she met her husband, George Manoylovich, a Serbian military officer who had spent four years as a prisoner of war in Germany. As World War II was ending, they met in a displaced persons camp in Austria, at a time when all of Europe was in transit. He convinced her not to return back to Russia. She credits him with saving her life as regards this decision, although she was never to see her parents again. She married George in Austria and eventually they were sponsored to immigrate to the US in 1949 where they lived in Sheffield and then Hampton, Iowa.
Elena was a homemaker and mother. She was an introvert and enjoyed home and hearth most of all. She loved her piano and was an excellent musician, playing classical music. She often treated her friends and family to a medley of Russian folk songs. She enjoyed lowa Public Television and foreign films. She was an avid reader most of her life and especially enjoyed Agatha Christie and historical biographies. She was a member of the Music Club and KYC women’s clubs in Hampton. Elena remained interested in politics through her life and engaged in spirited discussions with close friends and family.
Elena spoke German and Russian fluently, and also was able to communicate in other Slavic languages. In her later years she was learning French.
Elena was a lover of all animals, and a feeder of all strays, including dogs, cats, raccoons, opossums, crows and sometimes people. She was tender-hearted to the point of enforcing a catch and release policy for insects.
Elena enjoyed visits and card games over the years with dear friends, most recently Ruth Anne, JoAnne and Linda.
Elena loved to travel in her retirement years which included many solo bus trips over the United States and several to Europe. She especially enjoyed revisiting St. Johann in Pongau, Austria where she and her husband were first married and where she sustains friendships to this day.
Elena was preceded in death by her mother Anna, father Nicholai, brother Vladimir, former husband George Manoylovich, and many good friends and loving pets.
She is survived by daughter Angela (Paul) Klus of Mason City, son George Nicholas of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, grand-daughters Erika Klus of Mason City, Elizabeth Klus (Seth Pitkin) of Johnston, Iowa and Alexandra Klus (Emanuele Raganini) of Ankeny, Iowa and great-grandchildren Eliana Pitkin and Penelope Pitkin. She is also survived by her grand dogs and grand cats (Molly, Mo, Suzie, Fred and Poppy who she loved).
Elena was a beautiful mixture of independence and softness, humor without intention, bluntness without malice. She worried about everything and prayed about everyone.She taught us that the hallmark of a lady or gentleman is to treat all people with equal respect. She was kind.
Elena did not understand why she was granted so many years. We were lucky to be the recipients of her love and constancy. We loved her as our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and friend.
Elena would like to thank the staff of Heritage Care Center, Good Shepherd and St. Croix Hospice for their loving care.
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