Elena's dad left Lithuania for the USA before World War I and died there. Elena's mother was left alone with three children and died when Elena was still a teenager. Raised by her aunt, who could not easily feed the extra mouths, Elena married early - she was 18 at the time, and her husband Juozas was 43. Elena and Juozas had a son Jonas, twins who died in infancy, and sons Bronislovas and Pranas. Juozas died in 1927. Elena was very intelligent and hardworking and did not perish - she bought a farm of 13 hectares, managed to manage it and raise her boys alone.

When the war broke out and Germany occupied Lithuania, Elena Laurinavičienė lived with her sons Bronius and Pranas in the village of Naukaimis, Raseiniai County. The eldest son Jonas was married and living in another house, while Bronius and Pranas lived with their mother. When the unrest broke out, Elena hid two communist neighbours in her house. Later,  Leiba Tatz came to Elena for help. The Laurinavicius family had always had good relations with Jews. The friendly relations and the compassion for the people who were being mercilessly killed led Elena Laurinavičienė and her sons to rescue the condemned. The Blecher cousins of Leiba Tatz were also hiding with Elena Laurinavičienė for some time. Sometimes Mina Chodonaitė Ran from Raseiniai came and was received. Leiba Tatz stayed with Elena the longest. During the whole occupation period, he stayed with 24 peasant families.

In the post-war period, the life of Elena Laurinavičienė's sons was tragic, as two of them, Bronislovas and Pranas, joined the resistance struggle against the Soviet occupiers and therefore Bronislovas Laurinavičius was exiled to Siberia. 

When Bronislavas was deported, Elena asked for help from her previously hidden neighbours, but they pretended not to know her.

Later, when Bronius returned from exile and Elena was already retired, soviets privatised her farm. Elena moved in with Bronius' family. The Laurinavičis family was always supported by the Tatz family, who came to Lithuania three times a year.