Daily Sitka Sentinel

Elinora Brandner Dies; Former Sitkan was 104

Elinora H. Brandner 

 

Former Sitkan Elinora H. Brandner, 104, of Medford, Wisconsin, died July 21 at Country Gardens Assisted Living, Medford, where she had resided for the past 11 years, most recently under the care of Hope Hospice.

Memorial services will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, July 24, at Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church, Medford, with Rev. James Krueger officiating. Interment of her cremated remains will be in Medford Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church from noon until the time of services at 1 p.m.

Elinora was born on May 10, 1916, the daughter of the late John Jakob and Alma Marie (Schoenfeldt) Frey. She attended Frey School in the Town of Browning, was a graduate of Medford High School, and a 1935 graduate of Taylor County Normal School, Medford. Her marriage to Herbert Julius Brandner took place on February 22, 1941, in Independence, Wisconsin.

Herb was called into service in 1943, and for the next three years they lived in California, Kansas and Texas. They returned to Wisconsin in 1946 and their son Dale was born in 1951. In 1953 the family moved west to Bellingham, Washington.

In 1957 they moved to Ketchikan, and in 1959 they settled in Sitka. Elinora worked at National Bank of Alaska and First National Bank Alaska for 14 years, retiring in 1974.

The Brandners moved to Bellingham in 1979 and spent the next 20 years traveling all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with friends and family. They would often return to Medford during the summers. They moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1999 and finally returned to Medford in 2009, settling into Country Gardens shortly after that. Elinora loved to travel in her motorhome with her husband, Herb. She was always very active in local clubs and volunteering. Elinora loved going into the Medford area schools to spend time with children. She was a member of Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church of Medford.

She is survived by grandchildren Tara (Col. William) Gibson of Fairfax, Virginia, and Jared (Douglas Williams) Brandner of Anchorage; and three great-grandchildren, Taylor, Ty and Lucy Gibson.

Elinora was extremely lucky to have many nieces and nephews, who always made the time to be involved in her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband (on Nov. 12, 2015), son, Dale Gordon Brandner in 2018; siblings Viola Clausnitzer, Oscar, Hilbert, John and Ralph Frey.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be given to Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church, Medford in her name. Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake serving the family. For online condolences, please visit hemerfuneralservice.com.