Eleanor Tatum Hoover

Eleanor Tatum Hoover: Eleanor went to her heavenly home on Wednesday evening surrounded by her loving family at Pella Comfort House at the age of 79 years, 9 months and 5 days. Survivors include her three daughters, Rebecca (Becky) and Jimmy Carter of Oskaloosa; Rachel Knight of Arlington, WA; and Rose and Jerry Gustafson of Enid, OK; eight grandchildren: B.J. Carter, Shari VanDenBerg, Megan Knight, Maleika Knight-Simoneaux, Natosha Knight, Jamara Knight, Julie Eastin, and Jay Gustafson; ten great grandchildren; two sisters-in-law: Virginia Tatum and Mary Ellen Tatum; a nephew and many nieces. Eleanor Tatum Hoover, the youngest daughter of Walter & Ethel Branson Tatum, was born August 12, 1926, at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Her family moved to Quakerdale Farm in New Providence where Eleanor graduated from New Providence High School in 1943. While attending William Penn College she met Herbert F. Hoover; they married March 23, 1946. Three daughters were born from this union, Rebecca, Rachel and Rose. Herbert and Eleanor ran Penn Dairy for 4 years and then moved to the Hoover family farm, Active Acres Co-op. The Jersey dairy farm produced Grade A milk which was sold to Milky Way Dairy. Eleanor got up at 4:30 every morning to milk up to 60 cows and milked again at night for nearly 20 years. Herbert and Eleanor moved to Dodgeville, Wisconsin and raised organic vegetables, built a yurt for communal worship, and folk danced at Folklore Village. In 1974, they parted ways and Eleanor returned to Oskaloosa to care for her ailing father. Eleanor drove a school bus for the Oskaloosa public schools for 23 years. She enjoyed all the children on the bus route, especially the preschool handicapped. Eleanor was manager of Inglenook Apartments for 27 years and was adored by the residents because of her love and compassion. She drove them to doctor and dentist appointments, airport trips, soup and ice cream socials, picnics in the parks, and many other road trips. Eleanor was so humble to be selected as Good Neighbor of the Year and later Woman of the Year in 1997. She had a big heart and enjoyed helping others. Eleanor participated in many community activities such as volunteering at the Ecumenical Cupboard and at Nelson Pioneer farm, was a five gallon blood donor, walked on Crop Walk for 17 years. She had promised her mother at the age of seven that she would never smoke or drink, carrying out this promise by being active in WCTU for over 50 years. Eleanor asked the Lord into her heart when she was 17 years old and spent her life serving others. She belonged to the Missionary Martha Circle of the College Avenue Friends Church and was a member of the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting. She was very active in the OK Bunch at the First Assembly of God in Oskaloosa. Eleanor loved living life to the fullest with her family and friends. You could see her on a bowling league, taking tickets at Raah Speedway for ten years, enjoying her great grandchildren racing go-karts and playing ball, fishing for anything that would bite or winning the corn shucking contest at the Oskaloosa Sweet Corn Serenade. She kept in touch with high school friends, who attended New Providence High School. For 42 years they went on a trip together every fall to keep the friendship alive. Scrapbooking was one of her greatest hobbies. She was instrumental in starting many of her family & friends in becoming scrapaholics. In 2001, Eleanor got her three daughters together for a week's summer vacation in Hawaii for her 75th birthday and they kept the tradition going by visiting Rachel, north of Seattle, Washington. Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Ethel Tatum; a sister, Eloise Cresap of Winterset, IA; two brothers, Kenneth Tatum of Denver, CO and Lawrence Tatum of New Providence, IA. PDF Printable Version

Eleanor Tatum Hoover

August 12, 1926 - May 17, 2006