Eleanor Dewey
Eleanor M. Dewey, 95, passed peacefully at the home of her son surrounded by family on Feb. 5, 2023.
Eleanor Kelly was born Aug. 1, 1927, west of Stapleton, Neb. on her grandparents (Miles and Fanny Haddock Brothers) farm to Clarence and Pearl Brothers Kelly. She was the youngest of four children.
Her father, Clarence, died Oct 22, 1934. In 1935, she, along with her mother and siblings, moved into Stapleton. On April 13, 1937, her brother, Miles, died.
Eleanor attended Stapleton High School, graduating in 1946. She met Duane Thomas, a cowboy, at the Stapleton Rodeo. They were married June 17, 1946, in Kearney. Eleanor and Duane lived on the Thomas Family Ranch on the banks of the Dismal River from 1946 to 1959. They had two children, Dennis, and Lynn.
In 1959, they moved to Palisade, Colo., where they operated a peach orchard for one year.
They then moved to a ranch near Mack, Colo. In 1962, they moved to Ansley, Neb., where they purchased a motel, gas station and drive-in, the
D&E. On July 19, 1976, she was devasted by the death of her husband, Duane.
Following Duane’s death, she continued to run the motel. She married Vern Dewey on Dec 16, 1978. They continued at the motel until 1986 when they moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
They traveled around the country in their RV, seeing most of the United States. They traveled to Nebraska each summer to visit their sons until her health deteriorated and she was no longer able to travel in 2013.
Eleanor was a member of the Ansley United Methodist church from 1962 until she moved in 1986. She taught Sunday School, was a member of the UMW and was a faithful follower. She became a member of the Mount
Olive Lutheran Church in Lake Havasu City.
Eleanor resided in care facilities from 2013 until 2022. Vern passed in August, 2016. She moved to her son Lynn’s home in Castle Rock, Colo., in November, 2022, where she resided until her death.
Eleanor was preceded in death by husbands, Duane Thomas and Vern Dewey; son, Dennis Thomas; parents; brothers Miles and Albert; and sister Mildred.
She is survived by her son Lynn and daughterin-law Angela Thomas of Castle Rock, Colo.: two grandsons Brian Thomas and wife Kristina Rodgers of McCook and Caeden Thomas and partner Sol Thomas of Castle Rock, Colo.; great-granddaughter Serenity Thomas; dear friends, Janice and Bill Dewey of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; and nieces, nephews and many other relatives.
Graveside services will be at the Broken
Bow Township Cemetery, Broken Bow, Neb., May 22 at 2 p.m.
Memorials in Eleanor’s name may be given to Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 2170 Havasupai Blvd, Lake Havasu City, AZ, 86403.