Eleanor Sandgren
Groton — Eleanor (Holdredge) Sandgren of Groton passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.
Ellie was born in Groton, to Gertrude (Wright) Holdredge and Frederick Irving Holdredge, on July 8, 1920. She was a graduate of Fitch High School, Class of 1938, and then attended New London Business College.
She worked for the Guardian Thrift and Loan. During the war she worked in the accounts department of the U.S. Finance Harbor Defense of Long Island in New London. From there, she went to the SUBBASE finance office until her marriage to Nelson Sandgren. Together they traveled around the United States and Canada for Combustion Engineering of New York, eventually moving back to Groton where Nelson worked for Electric Boat.
Later in life, she became a school secretary for the Groton school system. She and her husband operated a Christmas tree farm after his retirement. One of the most enjoyable trips after his retirement was a family trip to Scandinavia, and the highlight was reaching the Arctic Circle.
She leaves two sons, Peter Nelson Sandgren/Kathy and Christopher Eric Sandgren/ Cathy; three grandsons, Erik/ Alexandra, Jack/fiancée, Kelly and Evan Sandgren; and two granddaughters, Hayley Fox/Alexander and Kelly Meredith Sandgren; and her cat, Susie.
Her husband of 53 years, Nelson, predeceased her; and her brother, Richard Holdredge, predeceased her as well.
Ellie was a longtime member of the Groton Congregational Church, at one time a deacon and Sunday school teacher, a member of Child & Family Agency, a lifetime member of L+M Hospital Auxiliary, the Thames Craft Guild, and the bridge club.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, at the Byles-Groton Memorial Home, 310 Thames St., Groton. Interment in Starr Burying Ground will be private. There are no visiting hours.
Donations in her memory may be directed to the American Parkinson Disease Foundation, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305.
Please visit www.byles.com to sign the guestbook or to share a memory.