In 1827 her father received the Russian hereditary nobility and in 1838 officiated as senior postmaster and state councilor in Riga.
[4] She took private lessons from the artist Julius Döring in Mitau, who himself studied at Dresden Academy of Painting, Sculpture, Engraving, and Architecture.
She worked as a schoolteacher in various educational institutions; during the summer holidays she took additional painting lessons in Dresden with A. Eberhard, Karlsbad and in Munich with A. Liezenmayer.
In 1873 she founded a private school of drawing and painting, which received official status in 1879 under the name German: Jung-Stillingsche Zeichen- und Malschule.
Before 1871 Elise had in her possession the score — an autograph of the scene and aria for soprano "Non paventar, mia vita!"