January 14, 2025

Linn County News

Published January 15, 2025

Eleanor Eileen Reynolds, age 97, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital. Eileen will lie in state from 12-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Vansant–Mills Chapel in Clinton. A graveside service was held at 1 p.m. at the Brooklyn Cemetery southwest of La Cygne, Kan.

Eileen was born Dec. 16, 1927, in rural Linn County, Kan., to Volney Preston Reynolds and Hilja Sivia Henrikson Reynolds. She was the oldest of three children. She attended Oak Grove, a one-room school, and then graduated from La Cygne Rural High School in 1946. She attended Kansas State Teacher’s College in Pittsburg, Kan. She became a teacher and taught at Spring Vale Academy, the church school in Owasso, Mich.; she also taught school in Iowa and Kansas and ended her teaching career in Clinton, Mo., in 1993. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Pittsburg State University in 1957 and her Master’s Degree from Truman State.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister Vivian; her brother Loren; and one nephew Harold (Hal) Sutcliffe.

She is survived by one sister-in-law, Rose Marie Reynolds; and five nephews, Vern (Sharon) Batley, Mike (Janet) Batley, Bill (Lisa) Sutcliffe, David (Laura) Reynolds, Larry Reynolds and three nieces Kathy (Dwight) Gander, Janet Reynolds and Ruth Reynolds. She is also survived by eleven great-nephews and nieces; 19 great-grand-nephews and nieces; and nine first cousins, Jean Thompson, Roberta Childers, Kenny Reynolds, Bernita Robbins, Phyllis Sumner, Stanley Rynard, and Brenda Westerhold, Carma Axtell, and Kay Bailey.

Eileen loved her house plants and filled her apartment with them. She was very active walking up town in Clinton at least once a day until her health did not allow it. She loved to read until her macular degeneration made that impossible. She enjoyed discussing politics and religion. She enjoyed teaching children to read.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Pittsburg State University, Church of God 7th Day, or an organization of your choice in her memory. Donations may be left at the funeral home in Clinton, or at the library in La Cygne. There was a gathering and a meal in the Swan Room at the La Cygne Library following the graveside service. Friends and family were invited to attend.