Eleanor Wiley

Eleanor Wiley was a compassionate Christian woman who learned to appreciate hard work and inner strength from an early age. Dedicated to her church, her family and her friends, Eleanor will be remembered by those she touched. She was a loving person who was always easy to talk to and eager to help in every circumstance. Eleanor was born in the beginning of the 1900's when there were only ten miles of paved roads for the eight-thousand American cars. She was the fourth of five children born to James and Myrtle (Watson) Bradford on February 4, 1907 in Flowerfield MI. She was formally named Sarah Eleanor, however, like many girls of that time, she went by her middle name. Eleanor and her four sisters, Arlene, Mabel, Hazel and Ethelyn grew up on the family farm in Flowerfield. Eleanor was raised in a religious home and church was a high priority in her life and has remained that way throughout her life .

At the age of seventeen, Eleanor and her true love, Russell Wiley tied the knot. The happy couple raised two daughters, Virginia and Betty. They owned a small farm and Eleanor's favorite part was tending to the flower and vegetable garden. Since Eleanor had grown up on a farm, farming came naturally to her. She had no problem catching a loose chicken, chopping its head off, boiling it, plucking it and then frying it up for dinner. She also reached out to friends and family to help them with their farming as well. Eleanor was known for her giving spirit and servant's heart. She was a wonderful mother and she loved her family deeply. One way she showed her affection for them was preparing delicious meals. She made wonderful traditional dinners. Some of the family favorites were baked macaroni and cheese, chocolate meringue pie and, of course, fried chicken.

Family and friends were all very important to Eleanor, but her love for the Lord was at the top of the list. Eleanor was a longtime member of the Methodist church and she was always available to serve in the church in any capacity. She read her Bible faithfully and praised the Lord through traditional hymns such as, Old Rugged Cross, Amazing Grace and In the Garden. Even children's songs like Jesus Loves Me rang off her lips as she reached out to others and planted seeds for her Lord.

Eleanor's Godly heart and endearing spirit was a blessing to all who knew her. She will be dearly missed and fondly remembered. Eleanor Wiley, age 98 of Vicksburg died on September 14, 2005 at the Laurels of Galesburg. Visit with her family and friends Friday from 6:00-800p.m. at the ™ - Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren Life Story Funeral Home in Vicksburg. Funeral services will be held at 10:00a.m. Saturday at the same location. Members of Eleanor's family include her daughters: Virginia Caswell of Vicksburg, Betty and her husband Donald Terry of Portage, 7 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, 17 great great grandchildren and 8 great great great grandchildren. Besides her husband, She follows in death her 4 sisters, 3 grandchildren: Edwin Terry, Dennis and Russell Caswell, a son-in-law: Lyle Caswell Sr., and a great granddaughter Misty Waldon. Please visit Eleanor's memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read her life story, archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial donation to a charity of your choice.