Eleanor Elbert (1921-2007)
ELBERT, FINNESSY, HARKIN, BENSON, PEARSON
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 11/27/2007 at 20:29:54
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Tuesday, November 27, 2007.
Eleanor Elbert, 86, of Ames, died Monday, Nov. 26. Services are pending with Stevens Memorial Chapel in Ames.
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, November 28, 2007.
Feb. 12, 1921-Nov. 26, 2007
Eleanor Elbert, 86, of Ames, died Monday, Nov. 26. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Ames with Father Ivan Nienhaus presiding. Burial will be in Ames Municipal Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, with a vigil service at 6 p.m., at Stevens Memorial Chapel in Ames.
Born Feb. 12, 1921, to Michael F. Finnessy and Nora (Harkin) Finnessy, Eleanor was proud of her heritage and having been born and raised in the rural, Irish community around Cumming during the lean times. From this, came her values of family, education, hard work, thrift, community and her Catholic faith. Later in life, she made sure her kids knew about these roots, and she also enjoyed teasing her grandchildren about their Irish eyes.
Her mother made sure all her children went to college. After attending St. Mary's College in Omaha, she graduated from Iowa State College in 1944 with a degree in child development. From the beginning of her work life, she served others. She was a home economist in Dallas County, living in Adel. During World War II, she joined the American Red Cross and served in the "Club-mobile" that served coffee and donuts to the GIs in Germany. She worked at Iowa State College in the Botany Seed Lab, the Statistics Department and the Child Development Lab.
She married Thomas Elbert, of Ames, Oct. 27, 1948, at St. John's Catholic Church in Cumming and started a home in Ames. They went to Recreation Leadership Camp, learned folk dancing, square dancing and square dance calling and shared this hobby with many friends. They danced with Red Friars and played bridge with her many friends. She stayed home from work after the children came along. Together they raised their children, Margaret and John. Eleanor built a wonderful family life for herself, her loving husband and her kids.
When the kids were in school, she returned to Iowa State to study social work. Her new career was as a social work caseworker and eventually a supervisor in Boone and Story County. She was very supportive of the Story County Developmental Center, Mainstream Living and Association of Retarded Citizens. She worked to get legal guardians for mentally disabled children and adults. She was an advocate for people with disabilities. After she retired, she served on the boards of Mental Health Center, Alliance for the Mentally Ill. For AARP she was on the Capitol City Task Force, Iowa State Legislative Committee and Older Iowans in the Legislature. Over the years, she demonstrated how one person can help her community grow better.
She enjoyed helping things grow, children or plants, whether outside or inside. She was certain about her values and used them. Education was a constant: she was a voracious reader and learner. Her siblings and friends also were important to her. These values merged together in discussions about politics and social issues with friends and her siblings that went into the night. Eleanor and Tom's marriage and love for each other was strong and beautiful for 59 years, until the time she went to be with God.
She is survived by her husband, Tom; one daughter, Margaret Elbert, and her husband, Jeff Benson, and their children, Peter and Nora; and by one son, John, and his wife, Sally Elbert, their children, T.J. and Mike, and Sally's children, Chris and Shannon.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Austin Finnessy; and two sisters, Dorothy Pearson and Marge Finnessy.
Memorial gifts may be made to Eleanor Elbert memorial and will be distributed to the local organizations whose missions she supported.
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