GOLDEN VALLEY, MN (August 27, 2016) – Carolyn Mildred (Ekstam) Cedarleaf, widow of former Covenant pastor Douglas Cedarleaf, died Friday. She was 96.

Carolyn was born in Moline, Illinois, to Harry and Ruth Ekstam on September 10, 1919. She began her professional life as a secretary at John Deere in Moline.

Carolyn married Doug on November 1, 1940. They had four daughters and six foster children.

During the early years of their marriage, the couple served Erie Neighborhood House, a Presbyterian settlement house, in Chicago. The couple served churches that included First Covenant Church in Spokane, Washington; North Park Covenant Church in Chicago; Rochester Covenant Church in Rochester, Minnesota; and Grace Covenant Church in Stambaugh, Michigan. They also lived in Batavia, Illinois, where Doug served as a chaplain.

The Evangelical Covenant Church honored the couple’s commitment to urban ministry in 1998, when the denomination presented them the Irving C. Lambert Award. She was a member of Community Covenant Church in Minneapolis for more than 30 years.

Doug died on November 27, 2000. She is survived by daughters Jeannine Nordlund (Ted), Rebecca Anderson (Ralph), Melanie Morgan, and Glenda Cedarleaf (Kelley); nine grandchildren, and 12 great-grand children.

A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held at Fellowship Hall in Covenant Village of Golden Valley at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 1.

Carolyn’s online memorial with full obituary can be found at the Kozla Radulovich Funeral Home website.

Memorials may be sent in honor of Carolyn to the benevolence fund at Covenant Village of Golden Valley, 5800 Saint Croix Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN 55422.