Eleanor F. Millar

Eleanor F. (Wenzlaff) Millar fell peacefully asleep on Wednesday, August 3 while residing at The Willows in St. Joseph MI. Eleanor was born on November 16, 1915. She lived a full, wonderful and faithful 100 years. Her family and friends were blessed to celebrate her 100th birthday with her in November of last year. She looked beautiful and what a great time she had at her party! Eleanor was an amazing woman and built many, many memories during her 100 years. She grew up on a farm in Sodus and vowed she would never marry a farmer—and she didn’t! She loved to tell people about her first job with Michigan Bell as a switchboard operator. She worked the night shift and once fell asleep with her arms on the table. When the board buzzed at her, her arms were frozen in front of her and the supervisor caught her sleeping. She was so embarrassed! In her later years, she was proud to work at the firm of Ryan, McQuillan, VanderPlough and Fette as a bookkeeper. She maintained life-long friendships with her many friends there after retirement. Eleanor followed Albert to Trinity Lutheran Church, where she was confirmed and later married Al. Her faith and her church were one of the most important things in her life and helped her through many dark hours of grief. She was a dedicated member of the Ladies Aid, lending her hands to the creation of many quilts and offering her wonderful deserts to many fellowship gatherings. She also loved being part of the weekly bible study group. In addition to her strong faith, Eleanor was known as a fiercely independent woman. When Albert was called to service in WWII, she maintained a strong home with three small children. She was a professional seamstress and could seemingly make clothes out of scraps. There was nothing she couldn’t recycle. She continued her own home maintenance well into her 90’s, much to the dismay of her children. Her independence surely led to her long life. Eleanor’s story would not be complete without mentioning her devotion to the Chicago Cubs. Anyone who knew her knew she was a Cubbie fan forever. We hope she’ll be able to watch the Cubs win the World Series from heaven this year. Go Cubs go! Eleanor is survived by her son, Howard (Pat) Wenzlaff of Stevensville and daughter Karen (Bob) Walker of St. Joseph; grand children Jill (Kurt) Ostergaard of New York, Mark Wenzlaff of Sodus, and Tracy Bessey of Massachusetts; great grand children Madeleine and Hunter Ostergaard of New York and Alexandria Clum of Grand Rapids, MI. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who have all meant so much to her.   She was preceded in death by her first husband Albert Wenzlaff and second husband Thomas Millar; by her daughter Germaine Eggleston and son Craig Wenzlaff and by her granddaughter Renee Clum. She was also preceded in death by her beloved brothers, Gordon Moore and Earl Farmer. The family would like to express a heartfelt thank you to those who have helped care for Eleanor in recent months. We thank the compassionate staff of The Willows, her dedicated team from Hospice at Home and her special caregiver Fay Brink. Eleanor was so grateful for all you did for her and she felt your love. Thank you to the many neighbors who kept a watchful eye over her in recent years. This tiny, tough and funny lady will be missed with fondness by the many people she touched. Services will be held Saturday, August 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in St Joseph, with visitation beginning at 10:00am and funeral services at 11:00am. Eleanor’s final resting place will be Riverview Cemetery by those she loved so much, Albert, Geri and Craig. Memorial contributions can be made in Eleanor’s name to Trinity Lutheran Church or Hospice at Home. Arrangements are being handled by Starks and Menchinger Family Funeral Home.  Those wishing to sign Eleanor’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.