Eleanor Whipf, 72, Dickinson, died Monday, January 26, 2009 at St. Joseph’s Hospital & Health Center, Dickinson. Eleanor’s Mass of Burial will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, January 29, 2009 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. Keith Streifel as the celebrant. Interment will take place at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday at Ladbury Funeral Service. There will be a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m., Wednesday at Ladbury Funeral Service with Deacon Ralph Stockert presiding.
Margaret Hlebechuk, known as Eleanor to friends and family most of her life, was born in Belfield on June 23, 1936, the daughter of John J. and Mabel (Rodakowski) Hlebechuk. She was raised on a farm near Belfield and attended country school through grade four, but then attended Belfield Public School for her final four years of elementary school. She attended Model High School on the campus of Dickinson State Teachers College, graduating from Model High in 1953. Many students from rural areas around Dickinson attended Model High where college students did their practice teaching under direct supervision of their college professors. Eleanor said she thoroughly enjoyed her years at Model High.
She married Steve Symionow on Oct 20, 1953, at Fairfield, ND. They had four children, Debbie, Terry, Sandra and Tammy. In 1970 she married Joseph Faller in Dickinson and they had one daughter Jodene. Joseph died in 1986 and she married Hubert Whipf in 1986 and they made their home in Dickinson. Eleanor earned an LPN certification and worked in nursing homes in Dickinson for more than 30 years, last working at St. Benedict’s in 2005. She enjoyed gardening and maintaining a well-kept home, but her special hobby was her doll and angel collection. They ranged in size up to 15” tall, and all were beautifully clothed.
Eleanor is survived by her husband Hubert; five children, Debbie (Jerry) Haich, Gladstone; Sandra (Kevin) Booke, Gladstone; Tammy (Terry) Zastoupil, Dickinson; Jodene (Wade) Kadrmas, Dickinson and Terry (Susan) Symionow, Dickinson; step-daughter, Rosemary Whipf, Bowman. Eleanor had 18 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and one brother Lawrence (Gladys) Hlebechuk of South Heart. She was preceded in death by her parents and two husbands.
