Eleanor was born February 3, 1940, in Portland, Oregon, to Stephan and Marie Burcar (nee Jetter) and grew up in Portland after her early years in Norwood, Oregon. As a child, she attended Abernethy Elementary School in Portland. Some of her favorite childhood memories were educational summer trips to Neahkhanie Beach on the Oregon coast with her teacher and friend, Ruth Howard. At the age of 13, Eleanor was diagnosed with type I diabetes and was insulin-dependent for the rest of her life. While in high school, she was employed at the soda fountain of Westmoreland Pharmacy at Milwaukie and Bybee Street. After graduating from Cleveland High School, she attended Lewis and Clark College and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. She was a teacher at Russellville Elementary in Portland for a number of years. In 1967, Eleanor married Jim Sauder and the couple had two children, Stephanie and Daniel. After spending several years at home raising her children, she worked in the family dry cleaning business and for Tik-Tok Cleaners in Lake Oswego.
She was a long-time member of Woodstock Bible Church and enjoyed many years of fellowship and friendship with her extended church family. She supported diabetes research, received a medal as a 50 year survivor of type I diabetes from the Joslin Diabetes Center, and lived for almost 66 years after her initial diagnosis. Eleanor especially loved visiting the Oregon coast, traveling abroad, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and her grand dogs.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Stephen Burcar (Helen).
Eleanor is survived by her husband Jim; daughter, Stephanie Johnson; son and daughter-in-law, Dan Sauder (Maxine); sister and brother-in-law, Linda Staudt (Melvin); four grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-grandnieces, and a great -grandnephew.
A funeral will be held on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Woodstock Bible Church, 5101 SE Mitchell St, Portland, OR 97206 with a viewing at 10:00 AM. There will be a lunch at the church after the service. Burial will follow at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, 10500 SE Mount Scott Blvd, Portland, Oregon, 97266 at 3:00 PM.
PALLBEARERS
Daniel Sauder
Eric Peterson
Mel Stoudt
Jim Preiger
Craig Anderson
Scott Stumitz
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