Eleanor C. Santos
Eleanor C. Santos was born to
Anton and Louise Anthenien, on their farm in Evergreen, California. Her parents
met on Ellis Island around 1900, her father from Switzerland and her mother
from Austria. Eleanor was the youngest of six children, two sisters, Marie and
Ann, and three brothers, August, Conrad, and Herman. Although her father passed
away when she was just 6 months old, she has many happy memories of her
brothers playing jokes on each other and the animals she had as pets. She often
told her children why she began drinking coffee. She would sneak some hot
coffee and pour it over her cereal to melt the lumps of cream her mother
missed, after milking the cow.
She was working for the Coe
family, as cook and housekeeper, when she was introduced to her husband Kenneth
Santos, by his cousin and her friend LuVinna, Kidder. Kenny whisked her off her
feet and they were married three months later in Santa Cruz, California, on
October 2, 1953. They lived just five miles from her birth place, up a windy
road in the hills behind San Jose, California. Eleanor enjoyed cooking,
canning, and planting an extensive vegetable garden each year. Her cakes and
pies were requested for all family and friend celebrations. The barbeques and dinners she and Kenny
prepared were legendary. She enjoyed an
exciting and wonderful marriage to Kenny for over forty-eight years. Going on
adventurous campouts in the desert, cruises to Hawaii and Alaska, even a raft
trip down the Rogue River in her mid-70’s. Their biggest adventure together was growing
in their relationship with Jesus Christ. They accepted Him as their Savior
August 6, 1970. They also enjoyed working with children in the AWANA program at
their church. Ken and Eleanor had three daughters, Deborah, Darlene &
Kathleen, who blessed them with eleven grandchildren. Eleanor would have been a
Great-grandma for the first time this October.
Her dear husband passed away
in 2001 and the last words he spoke were to tell her he loved her. She
continued to stay active and enjoyed traveling with her daughter, Darlene and
her husband, David, on short trips till recent years. She enjoyed her days at
Orangeburg Manor and her friend Nettie.
The Lord gently took her to
Heaven on July 2, 2011. She was a beautiful person and brought joy to all those
blessed to have known her. She was greatly loved and will always be remembered
fondly.
