BAHLMAN, Eleanor June 1916-2006

BAHLMAN, SMITH, PARKER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 2/24/2009 at 16:05:34

CHARLES CITY, IOWA - Eleanor J. Bahlman, 89, of 608 Jefferson St. in Floyd, died early Wednesday morning (Feb. 1, 2006) at her daughter Janet's home in Floyd with family at her side.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Fullerton-Hage Funeral Home, 401 Blunt St. in Charles City, with the Rev. Dennis Niezwaag officiating. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in Charles City.

The family will greet relatives and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Fullerton-Hage Funeral Home. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services on Saturday at the funeral home.

Those wishing to extend memorials or expressions of sympathy may direct them to Hospice of North Iowa-Charles City, 1003 Gilbert St., Charles City, IA 50616, or P.A.W.S. Humane Society, 303 Shaw Ave., Charles City, IA 50616.

Eleanor June Bahlman was born May 4, 1916, the only child of Clay and Blanche (Smith) Parker, and was raised on a farm between Nashua and Charles City. She attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse in Riverton Township and later attended high school in Charles City.

Eleanor was united in marriage to Henry E. "Hank" Bahlman on Nov. 24, 1937, in her parents' home. Two daughters were born to this union, Valeria and Janet. Eleanor was a loving wife and mother. While her husband was serving overseas during World War II, she devoted all her time to raising her two girls.

The family lived in Charles City for several years, then moved to Waterloo where they lived one year while Henry attended an electronics school. In 1950, they moved to an acreage in Floyd to be near her parents and Eleanor took a job as an alterations lady at Paris Cleaners in Charles City.

An accomplished seamstress, she made most of her daughters' clothes as they were growing up. She worked at the Paris Cleaners until 1968, when a devastating tornado destroyed the town. A few years later, she took another alteration job at Pederson's Cleaners where she worked until she retired.

Eleanor liked to read and loved animals, of which she had many through the years. She continued to sew for people in her home and also loved to crochet and knit. She enjoyed surprising her friends with her beautiful afghans. After her oldest daughter moved to Arkansas, Eleanor had made many trips there, enjoying time with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. She especially loved to be there for Christmas.

In 1987, she moved to the town of Floyd and enjoyed being able to live right across the street from her youngest daughter and her husband.

Eleanor was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She will always be remembered as a caring, loving person who never had a cross word to say about anybody.

She was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran Church and was a lifetime member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Charles City. Eleanor was also a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary No. 3914, where she served as president and also served as conductress for the district VFW.

Grateful for the years they were able to share with her are her two daughters, Valeria "Val" Fisher and her husband, Roy, of Dover, Ark., and Janet Sheffner of Floyd; her five grandchildren, Tim Dyre of Dover, Ark., Richard Fisher of London, Ark., Lorrie (Audie) Oliver of Russellville, Ark., Chris Sheffner of Russellville, Ark., and Kelly Eggers of Dover, Ark. There are also nine great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Mildred Bahlmann of Waterloo and Beth Bahlmann of Charles City; along with several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Henry, in 1971; a great-grandson, Timothy Dyre Jr., in 1983; a grandson-in-law, Ed Eggers, in 1997; and a son-in-law, Ronnie Sheffner, in 2005.

Thoughts, condolences and stories may be sent to the family at www.fullerton-fh.com.

Fullerton Hage Funeral Home and Cremation Services, (641) 228-4211.

[Published in the Globe Gazette on 2/2/2006]