Name: Visitation for Walter Alexander Elwell
Start: 2025-03-13T14:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-03-13T16:00:00.000Z
Location: Princeton Evangelical Covenant Church

Walter Alexander Elwell
Born: April 29, 1937 in Miami, FL
Died: March 4, 2025 in Hiawatha, IA
Walter Alexander Elwell, 87, of Princeton, formerly of Wheaton, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Hiawatha Care Center in Hiawatha, IA.
Walter was born on April 29, 1937 in Miami, FL, the son of Walter E. and Alma (Kremp) Elwell. He married Barbara Dismeier on May 20, 1988 in Wheaton, IL. She preceded him in death on November 24, 2021.
Walter received his PhD in Theology from the University of Edinburgh. He remains an emeritus professor of biblical and theological studies at Wheaton College, where he taught for 28 years and served as dean of the graduate school. Walter is also a published author and editor of several works, including the Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible and the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. He was a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Institute for Biblical Research, Evangelical Theological Society, and the Chicago Society of Biblical Research. Walter was also a longtime member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton. He enjoyed many interests, including stamp collecting, gardening, reading, and choral singing; however, his greatest joys were spending time with family and with the Lord.
Survivors include his six children/stepchildren, Tim (Carol Ann) Elwell, Andrew (Susan) Elwell, Diane (Tad) Smith, Scott (Geraldine) Dismeier, Laurel (Paul) Langholz and Lisa (Mark) Wolter; 13 grandchildren, Justin Smith, Ethan (Lauren) Smith, Aubrey (Zach) Hicks, Audrey Elwell, Alexander Elwell, Katherine Elwell, Dana (Eric) Klen, Erin (Josh) Ochnikowski, Rachel Langholz, Sarah (Kyle) Dobbins, Nathan (Kennedy) Langholz, Jason Wolter, and Brendan Wolter; 8 great- grandchildren, and one sister, Patricia (Richard Mason) Elwell.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brother, James Elwell.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at the Princeton Evangelical Covenant Church with Pastor Derek Boggs officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Oakland Cemetery in Princeton, IL.
Memorials may be directed to Voice of the Martyrs, Wycliffe Bible Translators, or Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton, IL.
Online condolences may be made at www.grant-johnsonfh.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Bureau County Republican on Mar. 8, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Walter Elwell

Sponsored by Grant-Johnson Funeral Home - Princeton.

4 Entries

james s mcclanahan

July 28, 2025

My mentor and college professor at Belhaven, my boss and friend when we worked on the Bible Encyclopedia at Tyndale, my inspiration to earn my PhD and become a teacher. Thank you.

Lisa Wolter

March 14, 2025

As the youngest of the Elwell/Dismeier clan, I was truly the baby of the family. I was blessed to have Walter as my father for 37 years, and for 37 years I saw him demonstrate the fruits of the spirit over and over again. He expressed the joy he felt in his new family through his constant generosity and his deep, quiet laugh at the things that only exasperated my mom. A man who yearned for peace, he was definitely a calming presence in our household, taking my shenanigans and every life event in stride. He had the patience of Job, and anyone who spent enough time likely heard about my extensive car history. He only EVER got sharp with me once, and I surely deserved it as I was prodding him to give in to a request I had to take his pristine car into the city. Given he was a "yes" for about 90% of my wants and 100% of my needs, he earned that one frank "no". Kindness was his m.o., always wanting to make things easier or better for others, operating with a spirit of gentleness (see my previous reference to his ONE sharp response in 37 years). He was, at the heart, "goodness", as he never saw me as less than his daughter at a time when many parents would have thrown up their hands. A man of faithfulness, he told me once after I got married that he always assured my mom in the rough times that "she´s going to turn out fine". And then he´d beam because he was sure he was right in the end. He fathered me with a gentle spirit, and believe me that he needed every ounce of his self-control since I could surely be a challenge. But just as Christ said, the greatest of these is love...and love me he did. I´m eternally grateful for having two fathers who loved me, and I can say with certainty that Walter - my Poopsie - was as surely my father as he was Mom´s husband. And he took the role with grace and a willing spirit that could only have been created by a loving heavenly Father.

Debbie Pope

March 11, 2025

I was a grad student at Wheaton, and one very cold, bitter winter, my rickety (and rusty! Toyota Celica broke down. A friend and fellow student, Gary Madison, contacted Dr. Elwell, and the two of them pushed my car through snow streets to Doc's house -- where they repaired it for me! Later on, I worked in Grad Admissions when Doc became Dean of the Grad School. When I learned of his engagement to Barb, I went into his office to congratulate him and he was all smiles. He said to me, "I feel like I'm 16 again!" I have never, ever forgotten his kindness -- and his pure joy.

Hassell and Rhonda Bullock

March 11, 2025

I was Walter's colleague at Wheaton College for his tenure there. A few years ago I called him in Princeton to find out how he and Barbara were getting along, and he told me that he was in the process of selling his library, which contained many first editions and was giving the proceeds to missions. That was a profile of Walter, a man of the church whose influence spread around the world.
Rhonda and I once sat in his class on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, and oh how rich!

Hassell and Rhonda Bullock, Wheaton, IL

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 results