Eleanor Luze, age 84, died peacefully Thursday, June 03, 2010, at Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton following a short illness.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 4, 2010 at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home and also for an hour before services at the church on Saturday. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 1030 a.m. at Blessed Hope Church in Vinton with Pastor Jim Blair officiating. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton.
Darlene Eleanor Luze was born May 21, 1926 in Vinton to Ralph and Bessie Whitson Noeller. Eleanor grew up in Vinton and graduated from Lincoln High School. On July 28, 1945 she married Delbert Luze in San Diego, CA. Eleanor and Del owned and operated the Viking Sewing Center in Vinton, retiring in 1986. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and Blessed Hope Church in Vinton. She and Del enjoyed playing cards, dancing and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes. Eleanor and her sister, Charlotte, were accomplished bowlers who participated in local and national tournaments for several years. Eleanor and Del took numerous fishing trips to Canada and passed on their love of fishing and their fishing skills to their children and grandchildren. Eleanor was a socially active person who enjoyed many interests but her favorite activity was spending time with her family.
Eleanor is survived by her son, Dean (Kathy) Luze, Vinton; daughters Cindy (Joe) Gannon, Jasper, GA, and Theresa (Tony) Schwarting, Rowley, IA; eight grandchildren, Dan Luze, Lori (Dave) Bierschenk, Tony Dean (Julie) Schwarting, Chad (Jan) Schwarting, Lisa (Shawn) Franck, Debra (Mark) Cowart, Angela (Brian) Kuhn, Shelly (Jim) Ferch and thirteen great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Del, on Feb. 11, 2006; her sister, Charlotte Byam; and two great grandchildren, Jared Schwarting and Kelsie Franck.
A memorial fund has been established.