Elva was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She went by the name "Lena". She lived and raised her family in Buckeye, Arizona. Elva moved to California in 2020 to live with her daughter. Elva was deeply connected to her church and Bible when she was not spending time with her family. She would always say, "the Lord is my savior and He will take care of me. I will sit next to Him some day." That is where she is today, sitting next to her Savior.
Elva left behind three surviving children: Cleve Dwane Dean, Sharon Evon Coate, Mark O'Ray Dean, 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Elva Olene Tilley (Lena) is missed dearly every day.
