Elinor M. Hertle, 85

Published 10:08 am Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Elinor M. Hertle, 85, of Austin, Minnesota, died Monday, March 2, 2015, at Field Crest Care Center in Hayfield, Minnesota.

Hertle

Elinor was born on March 14, 1929, to William and Ethel (Wigham) Kraft on their family farm in Dexter Township, Dexter, Minnesota. She attended school in Dexter and Elkton. On April 20, 1946, she married Willis E. Hertle at the parsonage of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Austin. She became a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and later St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin. She enjoyed dancing, playing cards, camping, and spending time with her family and friends. She and Willis traveled extensively and wintered in Arizona for 14 years.

Elinor was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her granddaughter and great-grandchildren were very special to her. Elinor had a very strong and determined personality which carried her through life and a 21-year battle with cancer.

Elinor is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Larry Sparks, Sargeant, Minnesota; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Lori and Bill Douglas, Eagan, Minnesota; great-grandaughter, Lauren Douglas; great-grandson, Will Douglas; brother, Wilbur Kraft, Bemidji, Minnesota; sister, Carol Hamilton, Stewartville, Minnesota; sister-in-law, Verna Kraft, Rochester, Minnesota; brother-in-law, Everett Hertle; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Florence and Earl Hagstrom, Brownsdale, Minnesota; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Willis; daughter, Vicki Lynn; her parents; two brothers: Leslie and Lawrence Kraft; two sisters: Wilma Johnson and Florence Plath; one brother-in-law, Lawrence Hertle.

The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary Chapel in Austin with the Rev. Sharon Goetzinger officiating. The committal service will be at the Austin Grandview Cemetery. Visitation will begin one hour before the service at the mortuary. Honorary bearers will be Lauren Douglas and Will Douglas. Casket bearers will be nephews: Randy Hamilton, Ron Hamilton, Russ Hamilton, Brian Plath, Terry Plath and Bob Johnson.