Eleanor Lee (Croswell) Thomas

Thomas, Eleanor Lee (Croswell) MADISON/ WAUPACA - Eleanor Lee (Croswell) Thomas, age 79, went to be with the Lord on Monday, April 16, 2007, after a brief illness. Born as Eleanor Lee Croswell on Sept. 20, 1927, she was the eldest daughter of Leighton L. and Esther E. (Ellis) Croswell. Eleanor graduated from Mankato High School in 1945, and from Macalester College in 1949. She was united in marriage to Alun C. Thomas on Feb. 2, 1950, in Lake Crystal, Minn. Together they lived for more than 40 years in the Madison area, where Eleanor was a past member of Monona AAUW and a PTA member. She was very involved with Westminister Presbyterian Church, a past Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School Teacher, was a past Elder and Deacon and WOW member. In 2000, Alun and Eleanor moved to Waupaca, where they became members of the Wild Rose Presbyterian Church. Eleanor served as the moderator of Presbyterian Women. She was also a long time member of the Kiwanis organization and a volunteer at the Waupaca Learning Center and Bethany Home. Eleanor was a gregarious and friendly person, who loved to visit and share pictures of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She and Alun enjoyed traveling and she is widely regarded as an expert letter writer. Eleanor leaves many friends in Madison and Waupaca. Her smile and infectious laugh will be missed, especially by those at Healthy Escape. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and always had chocolate chip cookies in the house. Eleanor is survived by her husband of 57 years, Alun C. Thomas of Waupaca; and four daughters, Linda (Duane) Swanson of Sitka, Alaska, Gwendolyn (Neil) Pfeiffer-Young of Waupaca, Marcia (Tom) Nelson of Cottage Grove, and Lisa Thomas of Madison. She was a loving grandmother, "Nain", to eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Eleanor is further survived by a sister, Mary Ann (Ellis) Norman of Lake Crystal, Minn.; a brother, John (Kathleen) Croswell of North Mankato, Minn.; two sisters-in-law, JoAnne Thomas and Bette Rademacher, both of Mankato, Minn.; and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents. A Memorial Service will be held at WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 4100 Nakoma Road, Madison, at 11:30 a.m., on Friday, April 20, 2007, with the Rev. P. Alex Thornburg presiding. Private burial will be at Highland Memory Gardens. Visitation will be at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2007. Also there will be a Memorial Service held on Sunday, April 22, 2007, at 2 p.m. at Maple Crest Funeral Home, N2620 Highway 22, Waupaca, Wis., 54981. Memorials may be made to Wild Rose Presbyterian Church or Westminister Presbyterian Church. Eleanors family would like to express a special thank you for all the love and support they received during the past few weeks.