Eleanor Mary Mathilda Hambly was born to George and Gerda Tillman on September 18, 1923, at her Aunt (who was an RN) Frieda's home 16 miles south of Malta, Montana.

Eleanor attended several rural elementary schools near Malta while living with her parents, sister Elvera, and brother Donald (all who have preceded her in death).  She trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at age 12 after listening to the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour on the radio at home.  She graduated from Malta High School in 1941, worked at a dime store for two years, and then went on to graduate from Northern Montana College in 1945.

She taught three years in Augusta and then three years in Glasgow (Montana) before going to Wheaton College where she received a B.A. in Education.  She taught and later substituted in various schools in the Itasca and Roselle, Illinois, area for a good number of years.  She married Alfred C. Hambly on June 16, 1955, at the Community Church in Malta, Montana.  Al and Eleanor made their home in Roselle, where they reared their two daughters, Dorothy and Carolyn.  Serving the Lord was always a part of everyday living, whether it was teaching Sunday School, Child Evangelism Fellowship, VBS, Ladies' Missionary Circle, Pioneer Girls, and neighborhood Ladies' Bible study;  counseling, cooking, and preparing crafts at Camp;  playing the piano, entertaining  missionaries, joining early morning prayer times, helping at the Christian School, helping plant a church in Florida, corresponding with Scores and Scores of friends, memorizing Bible verses, exercising hospitality, being a friend, and faithfully loving and praying for her family, church, and country.  She enjoyed sewing, cooking, music, and helping Al in the garden.

Alfred and Eleanor moved from Illinois to Florida in 1978 and then to Powell, Tennessee, in 1986, where they continued to help others in various ways.  Eleanor has been a member of Temple Baptist Church for  33 years.  Her husband of nearly 51 years preceded her in death in May 2006.

She is survived by daughters Dorothy Stekman (husband David) and Carolyn (Scott) Hosford.  Her grandchildren are Daniel Stekman, Heidi Mercer, Eleanor Ferguson, Reba Pineda, John Stekman, Holly Cunningham, Charlene Turner, Samuel Stekman, and Lisa Stekman.  She has 8 great-grandsons (Jackson, Zachary, Lincoln, Benjamin, David, Nolan, Nathan, and Nehemiah) and 4 great-granddaughters (Alexis, Evangeline, Lesette, and Ivey).

She graduated to Glory and her home in Heaven on Monday, November 25 ^th , 2019, with family around her.  Praise the Lord!

Visitation at Woodhaven Funeral Home will be Friday, November 29, 2019, from 11:00AM until 1:00PM. The funeral service will begin at 1:00PM, with internment to follow in Woodhaven Memorial Gardens. Pastor Clarence Sexton will officiate.

Woodhaven Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens are honored to serve the family of Eleanor Hambly.