Mandie Rose Hendrickson

The family of Amanda Rose (Elmore) Hendrickson, lovingly known as Mandie to family and friends, is saddened to announce her passing on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the age of 35. She was the only child of Don and Cathy (Hanke) Elmore, born on November 9, 1990 in Wayne, Michigan. She also leaves behind her best friend and beloved husband of 11 years, Levi.

She will also be greatly missed by her grandmothers, Donna Elmore and Dorothea Hanke, aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. She is reunited in heaven with both of her grandfathers, Jim Elmore and Roland Hanke.

Mandie enjoyed a happy childhood. She had neighborhood friends, church friends, and school friends. At the age of 8, she discovered her love of piano when she began piano lessons with her beloved friend and piano teacher Sara Jakubiec. Even from this young age, it was obvious to those around her that she possessed musical aptitude.

A year later, at age 9, she attended a class at her church about becoming a Christian. She became a believer on October 27, 1999 and her faith in the Lord shaped her life from that moment on. Over the next few years, Mandie grew and matured into a godly young woman. Her spiritual growth was guided by her parents, her church, and her believing family. She also spent many weeks in the following summers camping, learning and working at Camp Barakel in northern Michigan. Most summers also included a short term mission trip sponsored by her church.

In high school, Mandie was encouraged to join the choir and “found her tribe”. This became a joy to her and she developed into an unexpectedly good vocalist, became the resident “choir momma” and a respected leader by her senior year. During this time, she regularly ministered at church as a vocalist, serving as a part of the Sunday morning worship team doing piano and vocals in ensembles, duets, and solos. She was highly intelligent, graduating in the top ten of her class and was awarded both academic and music scholarships as a result.

It was during her high school years that Mandie discovered that she was not only able to express her own heart through playing the piano, but that she loved to pass on her love of music to piano students, especially the little ones which she affectionately referred to as “Cookie Crunchers”. She continued her joy of teaching for over 15 years.

During this time, Mandie made many life-long friends wherever she went. One such place was Camp Barakel. It was there, in 2006 at the age of 15, that Mandie met her future husband, Levi. They would spend the next 8 years becoming best friends.

Before then, however, after graduating high school with honors in 2008, Mandie went on to Cornerstone University where she studied piano under Sara’s former professor. He would joke that Mandie was his “grand-student”. She eventually earned her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance.

During her college career, the friendship Mandie had with Levi continued to grow and deepen. They married in 2014, and moved several times in the ensuing years due to job changes. She was an enthusiastic foodie and loved experimenting with the culinary arts, serving up new and interesting (mostly successful) dishes frequently. Her vast collection of various cookbooks reflected her insatiable thirst for something new, always striving to see what else food had to offer.

But her interests did not stop there. Grandma had taught her how to crochet. Starting with baby blankets, her work then blossomed into creating a zoo of amigurumi animals. “Making amis while I watched TV [while recovering from intense treatments] helped me feel like I was actually accomplishing something, plus they made me (and everyone else!) smile and laugh. Truly amigurumis are wonderful medicine for the soul.” She was also able to take advantage of Skillshare.com classes and learned watercolor and gouache painting. She was quite good at both. She continued her many interests by learning Spanish online, memorizing Scripture and other subjects.

The intense treatments mentioned above reference the chronic illness, Babesia, that Mandie had been battling since the summer of 2008, just before starting college. Her illness became symptomatic very soon into her freshman year of college; however, the realization that she was carrying a tick-borne illness did not surface until 2011. All these life activities–finishing college, getting married, teaching piano, staying connected with her numerous friends–all continued despite becoming increasingly symptomatic. Crocheting the amigurumis, painting and learning Spanish were therapeutic outlets for her creative energy while being sick. She continued to teach piano throughout these years, even online during the Covid lock down and then while bed bound. In 2021, she became acutely ill. She then moved to her parent’s house to be cared for during what was to be her final four years. Three of those four years, she spent completely bed bound. Her medical issues grew increasingly worse, including spending most of 2023 in and out of hospitals. In 2024, she stabilized greatly and was able to renew her hobbies, friendships and interests. Her parents, and particularly her dad, Don, acted as hands and feet of the Lord Jesus as they nursed her and managed her care in heroic ways. It was hoped she would continue to improve.

Instead, in November 2025, increased complications from her condition landed her in the hospital. Liver problems and other issues compounded her illness until her body could no longer keep up. Two months later, Mandie was gathered into the arms of her Savior.

What remained the same, throughout all the years and medical difficulties, was Mandie’s irrepressible optimism. Her childlike spirit was quick to celebrate even the smallest achievements. At her core, she was sweet, sensitive and kind-hearted. Karen Ehman, who always considered Mandie a ‘second daughter’, wrote this tribute: “She was a fiercely loyal friend, loving daughter and wife and an ambassador for Jesus. She refused to allow the limitations from her disease to divert her mission of pointing others to the Gospel. It never darkened her smile nor dampened her joy. It gave her wisdom beyond her years.”

Near the end, her positive attitude was astonishing. Usually, her favorite line was to joke about how her optimism was literally in her blood because her blood type was B+! (that is, “be positive”) But at one point, when asked about how she could stay so positive, she grew very serious. She motioned with her hand from the top of her head down to her feet–a body that hadn’t worked in years–and said, “It’s not me, it’s Jesus. Look at me! I shouldn’t be joyful, but I am. It’s Jesus in me. I am just dust”. Mandie has, as the Apostle Paul wrote, fought the good fight and finished her course. Now, simply because of what she believed and not what she did, she has entered into the joy of the Lord, which we know of as heaven, and has been received with the greeting, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026 1:00 p.m. until time of service at Solosy Funeral Home.

Memorial Service will begin at 4:00 p.m. Mandie's Memorial Service will be live streamed. At time of the service there will be a link to click on below.

The family would like to invite family and friends to continue to share photos and stories below in Mandie's Guestbook or bring a photo or a written story to display on Mandie's Memory Board during her memorial.

The family is deeply thankful for the love, prayers, and support from so many family and friends.