Eleanor Hellevang

Eleanor J. Degeest - Hellevang, age 89, of Spicer, formerly of the Kerkhoven area, died Saturday morning, March 28, at the Benedictine Living Community of New London (formerly Glen Oaks Care Center).

A memorial service will be held at 1 P.M., Saturday, April 18, at First Lutheran Church of Norway Lake. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Hillside Cemetery in Kerkhoven at a later date. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Green Lake Funeral Home in Spicer.

Eleanor Joyce Degeest - Hellevang was born on August 4, 1925, in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Ruth L. (Minnert) and Ory R. Yeager. She grew up in the Sacred Heart, Minnesota area and attended elementary school there. She graduated from the Granite Falls High School and she took the Civil Service test and scored so well that she had a job waiting for her in Washington, DC. She borrowed enough money to get her to Washington to start her job as a secretary at the Treasury Dept. and she made sure she paid back the loan in 6 months. She returned to the Sacred Heart area and on February 4, 1946 was married to Emmet Degeest in northern Minnesota. They made their home in Willmar for a short time before moving to Sacred Heart area in 1947 and Emmet worked for Duininck Inc. In 1950, they bought a farm east of Kerkhoven and moved there in 1951. They lived and worked on the farm until Emmett's death in 1970. Eleanor moved to Willmar in 1973 and worked for the Unemployment Office. On August 4, 1974, she was married to Oscar Hellevang and they lived 6 months in Canada and 6 months in Arizona. Eleanor spent 25 years in Arizona before returning to Minnesota to make her home in Spicer in 2000 and for the last year and a half Eleanor lived at the Glen Oaks Community in New London.

She enjoyed reading, doing word puzzles, making latch hook rugs, gardening, canning, cooking and teaching billiards to family and friends. Eleanor loved being with family and friends and having time to share a meal or just a cup of coffee.

She is survived by 3 children; Barbara (and Jay) Provencher of Litchfield, Milo (and Rebecca) Degeest of New London and Lawrence (and Voni) Degeest of Melrose. Also surviving are 8 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren, 4 brothers; John Yeager of Harlingen, TX, David (and Darlene) Yeager of Granite Falls, Jon (and Cindy) Toal of Ft. Dodge, IA and Dan (and Doris) Toal of Urbandale, IA, and 3 sisters; Lois (and Marvin) Toupal of Renville, Myrna Stolen of Hanley Falls and Beverly (and Robert) Svobodney of Granite Falls, besides other relatives and friends.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, husband and great grandson, Isaiah Lewis in 2012.

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