Eleanor Wotring

Eleanor Wotring, 90, of Castle Danger, died Sunday, March 19, 2017 at Brightondale Assisted Living in New Brighton.

She was born on December 29, 1926 to Edson and Violet (Coleman) McLaren in Gary, Indiana where she grew up and attended schools. As a young lady, she achieved the rank of Quora Scout with the Girl Scouts.  After working as a secretary for U. S. Steel in Gary for several years, she met and married Frank Wotring, and upon his release from the U.S. Navy in 1957, they moved to Minnesota. Frank’s work with the Minnesota State Parks led them to Savanna Portage, Temperance River, Beaver Creek Valley in Caledonia, Split Rock Lighthouse, and Gooseberry Falls.  Throughout these years, Eleanor raised their family and later worked as a clerk with the state parks.

Eleanor was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Castle Danger and it’s women’s group and quilting group.

She enjoyed traveling on a twenty-dollar budget, camping, and summer cribbage games with the Gumtows-girls against the boys.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Frank in 2010; and brothers Hugh and Donald McLaren.

She is survived by son, Clark (Laura) of Two Harbors; daughters Laura (Ray) Chevalier of Pennsylvania, Ruth (Mike) Novack of Ham Lake, MN, and Barbara Nelson of Coleraine, MN; 14 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and a sister, Victoria Benson.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Visitation will be from 12:30 PM until the 1:30 PM service on Friday, March 24, 2017 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Castle Danger.  Burial will take place at 11 AM on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at Pine Needle Cemetery near McGregor.