Eleanor J. Summers, 96, Dickinson, died Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at St. Luke’s Home, Dickinson. Eleanor’s Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m., Monday August 3, 2020 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. Christian Smith as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Eleanor was born to Peter and Margaret (Kilzer) Kelsch on February 20, 1924 on the family farm south of Richardton.
Her education began in a country school where she developed a great interest in reading which stayed with her all of her life. Early in elementary school years she and younger sister Evelyn discovered an old music teaching text book in the family reed organ and taught themselves to read music. It was the beginning of a life-time of music for them as they learned to play the reed organ and later went on to electric keyboards.
On April 19, 1947 Eleanor and Raymond E. Summers were married in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dickinson. In 1955 when the home she designed was completed she became a stay at home mother to son Dean and later to daughter Janet.
When the children were old enough to travel the annual summer vacations began “exploring the USA”. One summer an additional trip was made by Eleanor when she joined a tour group on a Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.
Throughout her life her love of art provided her with another life-long interest. She had been able to take art courses by mail and when local schools offered evening classes she took advantage of these, always learning, always improving. For many years she entered paintings in art shows, winning ribbons and awards.
Her priorities were family and home, whether crocheting afghans or baking cookies for Christmas sharing.
Her battles with cancer began in 1962.
She enjoyed playing cards, playing Scrabble, solving crossword puzzles, and in recent years carrying on correspondence with a relative of her father’s and learning about relatives who live in Hungary.
She is survived by son Dean Summers of Dickinson, daughter Janet Summers of Bismarck, grandson Matthew Summers of Mandan.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and all of her siblings, infant brother Joseph in 1922, brother Peter J. Kelsch, sisters Bertha Portscheller, Anna Mayer, Katherine Harle, Carolyn Schuld, Marie Mayer, Emma Schiff, Agnes Seiler, and Evelyn Riesinger.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
