February 7, 1938 - June 26, 2024
In loving memory ~
Eleanor passed away peacefully in Grand Forks on June 26 at the age of 86.
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend and will be remembered by her family, friends, and relatives. The only consolation is that she is now experiencing unconditional love, without pain or worry, in the arms of God.
She is survived by Edwin, her loving husband of 65 years (son of Emanuel and Eugenia); her two sons, Evan and Edward (Lisa), and grandson Alex.
She was pre-deceased by her parents Fred (1971) and Hannah (1969) and sisters Giesela in 1992, Rena in 2014 and brother Harry in 2019.
Eleanor will be remembered dearly by the extended Henczel and Gysler families, and by her innumerable friends, neighbours and former colleagues.
Eleanor's family moved from Switzerland in 1936 and Eleanor was born in Dryden, Ont., on February 7, 1938.
In 1953 the Gyslers planned a move to Kamloops where Fred had been offered a job in a sawmill. After seeing a picture of Vernon on an apple box Eleanor and her sisters managed to convince their parents to forget about Kamloops and continue to the Okanagan.
In Vernon she went to Fulton High School, but left before graduating so she could work and help support her family.
Vernon was a very small town in the 1950s, so the family of six Henczel boys (Bill, Ken, George, Herman, Ron and Edwin) didn't take long to track down the Gysler family and their five daughters (Giesela, Erna, Rena, Lorraine, and Eleanor). Giesela and Bill were married in 1956 and Eleanor and Edwin in 1959. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on June 20, 2024.
During their time together Ed and Eleanor chased jobs in Golden, Lumby, and Vernon, before retiring to a farm in Grand Forks in 1993.
Eleanor was known for her kind, compassionate and caring soul and was, and is, an inspiration for all that knew her.
Raised in a working class family during the Great Depression she was both thrifty and conscientious, reducing, reusing, and recycling decades before it became trendy. If anyone has a use for a couple of thousand sour cream containers, please let us know.
Eleanor's family would like to thank Dr. Gwen Campbell, nurse Sandra Dorgelo, and the wonderful staff at Boundary Regional Hospital for the excellent care they provided during her short stay.