Jan 11, 1928 - Apr 26, 2018
Eleanora was the 4th born of 13; in a pioneer home in the Qu'appelle Valley at Fairy Hill in homestead directly north of the original Armbruster homestead of her grandparents. Eleanora always loved the Qu'Appelle Valley, especially in the spring when the fields were covered in the prairie flowers of crocus. There were many fascinating stories of her childhood, especially of the two horses Daisy and Pinky along with playing hopscotch in the basement eating crisp pickles taken out of the huge oak wooden barrel.
In April 1940, the family moved to Star City by a Model T Ford car. June 1941, they moved to a farm in the area, and being the oldest girl living at home she helped with the housework and caring for her younger siblings. In 1943, they moved again to another home in the area. Eleanora use to sew the flannel diapers for the new babies, and for the time had a very good electric sewing machine.
When Carole was little, Eleanora took her on a trip to Regina. It is a very close-knit family that held many family reunions every 5 years, that still happens now every 3 years. Eleanora was very proud of the fact that her siblings had very good professions and had furthered their education. Eleanora worked for the Bousfield garage as a bookkeeper, but also pumped gas, patched tire tubes, along with rubber boots. She was very proud of all the frost shields that she put on the vehicle windows. It was in this garage that she met James Clifford Nesbitt, and was married on October 10, 1949.
Here they worked the family Nesbitt farm during the summer, and in the winter, Eleanora worked at Bousfields while Jim worked in the lumber camps. In 1956, they stopped working the family farm and moved to White Court, Alberta, later Prince George then to Burns Lake in early December of 1961. October 1973, Eleanora met her soulmate Robert Arthur Grey. Approximately 1978, they started a Low Bed Trucking Company "Val Nor Trucking Ltd.", for 15 years. Eleanora wore many different hats in this business; bookkeeper, pilot car driver, filled out needed permits. Bob and Eleanora made a great work team.
Burns Lake always remained close to Eleanora's heart and she still thought of it as home. In 1988, they moved to Courtenay, BC, and for many years they would go south during the winter to Tower Point. Eleanora and Bob lived as partners for 32 years before getting married in Sept. 12, 2005.
Eleanora has always been remembered for her baking; pies, bread, cinnamon buns, fruitcake, fried bread dough, pie by the yard (strudel), and her Manitoba pickles. Our second fall that we helped care for Eleanora she had me make the recipes as she did not want them to disappear when she was no longer here to make them.
She believed everyone should be dressed in the days outfit at the breakfast table, which we all loved her for, principles of the day. One of her happiest moments was when her brother, Harry and Pat and sisters Shirley and Doris drove to the Island to surprise her for her 89th birthday, what a time was had by all. In the last few months her grandson Andrew would bring a large chocolate bar when he visited, which she loved. The first few bites she was able to break off pieces, but then she did not have the strength but did not want the help. Andrew would then break several pieces off and eat one piece or else Eleanora would not have had more.
When the grandchildren were younger Bob and Eleanora would love to have 2 grandchildren at a time stay. During this time, you were treated as a person whose opinion mattered and respected. They taught that respect mattered and above all that they were loved. Eleanora even cut up her favorite pants to mend a much-loved teddy bear for a grandson.
Eleanora was a hard worker that was very close to her family and will be greatly missed.
Private family arrangements.
Survived by son Ernest (Juanita); sisters Gertrude, Doris (Glenn), Martha (Bill), Lillian (Paul), Carole, Shirley (Joe), Janet (Bob), brother Harry (Pat), stepson Bob (Maria), stepdaughter Jean, and numerous nieces and nephews, 12 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren and by special cousins that were like siblings, Evelyn, Erna and Floyd. Eleanora was pre-deceased by brother Sieghard, parents John and Magdelena Armbruster, sisters Agnes, Bridget, baby Ruth and Jim Nesbitt.