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Subject: Elinor C. Vance, July 19, 1930 to August 14, 2004
Date: 27 Aug 2004 20:30:55 -0600

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Surnames: Vance, Gregory, Jordan
Classification: Obituary

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http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/zh.2ADE/2229

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Daviess County researchers may be interested in this obituary which appeared in the South Bend Tribune, 8/27/2004:

August 27, 2004

Obituary: Elinor C. Vance
July 19, 1930 -- Aug. 14, 2004



Elinor Clare Vance, 74, daughter of Emmett Emerson Vance and Helen (Jordan) Vance, was born July 19, 1930, in Oak Park, Ill., and died Aug. 14, 2004, in Decatur, Ill.

Surviving are sons, Stephen (Pam) Wetter, Scott (Mary) Wetter, Bob (Brenda) Wetter, Richard Daniel (Kari) Wetter and Stewart Michael (Kristina) Wetter; honorary son, Ted Matsui; sister, Josephine (Harold) Leiby; former husband, Charles Wetter; grandchildren, Patrick Wetter, Kimberly Joyce Wetter, Tracy (Brad) Donath, Kimberly Ann Wetter, Mollie Wetter, Emily Wetter, Deidre Wetter, Mara Wetter and Stacia Wetter; and great-grandchildren, Trent and Alexander Donath.

Elinor was preceded in death by her sister, Jeanette.

Elinor graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1948 and went on to Ball Memorial Hospital School of Nursing to become an RN.

Elinor never did anything in a small way. As a mother she had five sons. While several of her kids were high school age, she also invited a Japanese exchange student, Tetsuro "Ted" Matsui, to live with the family for a year, making a total of six boys for a while. The mother/son relationship between Elinor and Ted lasted for the rest of her life. One of the highlights of her life was being able to attend Ted's wedding in Japan several years later.

As a nurse, Elinor started out by scoring 2nd highest on the combined Illinois-Indiana nursing board exams. Over her career she took on some of the toughest nursing jobs, Pontiac Maximum-Security Men's Prison, the Dwight Maximum-Security Women's Prison, McLean County Prison, and private duty with terminally ill patients. For several years she was the school nurse at the Illinois State University High School. It was during this time that Elinor and some of her friends pushed to provide CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) to people outside the health care professions. She helped organize some of the very first public and the very first high school classes on CPR in the State of Illinois. Elinor was always looking for ways to use her skills and training to benefit her children and kids in general. A good portion of Elinor's nursing career was in the arena of public health. She held a number of related jobs including the Head Start program when this program was just getting sta!
rted. During many summers she would offer her services to summer camps for little or nothing so that her five sons could go to summer camp.

Elinor loved camping. For many years she owned a camper and leased a place near a state park in Illinois. She spent many happy weekends with the grandkids at the campground.

Spanning many decades, one of Elinor's biggest passions in life was genealogy. She traced the family ancestry back almost 1000 years. She became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Elinor went on to find over 20 ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. She was a member of the Mayflower Society, having proven descent from three passengers. She was also a member of the Magna Charta Society, having proven descent from those who signed the Magna Charta in 1215. Always wanting to share her experience, Elinor taught genealogy for many years in Bloomington, Ill. A book Elinor wrote on the Vance-Gregory wagon train to Daviess County, Ind., is recognized as an authoritative work on the subject. She also documented the life of Braddock Chandler, and arranged for his grave to be marked by the Daughters of the War of 1812.

As an avid antique collector, Elinor collected many fine antiques. She prided herself on never spending much, but rather searching flea markets and garage sales for bargains. Being in the game for fun rather than profit, she would give away her most special finds to relatives or donate them to museums.

Elinor loved reading. Over her lifetime she read thousands of books of all types and subjects.

Elinor was quite a seamstress. With five boys, probably out of necessity at first, but developed into one of her favorite pastimes over the years. One of her specialties was doll making. She loved making dolls for all her grandchildren.

As her children grew, so did Elinor's love of crocheting. She spent thousands of hours over the years producing dozens of afghans for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation and service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 4, in the Bubb Funeral Chapel, 3910 N Main St., Mishawaka, Ind. Visitation is at 1 p.m. and the funeral at 2 p.m. Elinor will be interred at Fairview Cemetery immediately following the funeral service. She represents the sixth generation of her family at this cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

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