Eloise E. Gillin

ELOISE ELAINE GILLIN was born on November 30, 1924 to Chris and Della (DeJager) Van Nieuwenhuyzen in Lismore, Minnesota. She lived in several areas while growing up and attended school in Edgerton, Minnesota. When she was in the seventh grade, she moved to Pipestone, Minnesota and continued attending school there. After her graduation from Pipestone High School in 1942, she became employed at the Pipestone National Bank. On July 23, 1947, she was united in marriage to Carl Gillin in Luverne, Minnesota. Following their marriage, they lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where Eloise worked at the National Bank of South Dakota. In February, 1954, they moved back to Pipestone. While raising their three sons, Eloise also worked at various part-time jobs. Her favorite job was working for Jean Agnitsch during tax season. After Carl died on January 16, 2005, she continued to live at their home in Pipestone until 2009 when she became a resident of Falls Landing Assisted Living in Pipestone. On February 7, 2014, she entered the Pipestone County Hospice House where she died on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at the age of 90 years and seven days.

Eloise was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Pipestone. She loved to play cards, especially Bridge. She said she was meant to have all boys because she could never master crocheting or sewing but she loved to go fishing with her boys. Raising a good family was her best achievement. She taught them to live by the Golden Rule, Ten Commandments, and the Prayer of Serenity.

She is lovingly remembered by her three sons, Charles Gillin and his wife Mary Lynn of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, Gary Gillin and his wife Patricia of Pipestone, Minnesota, and Paul Gillin and his partner Jamie Richards of Birmingham, Michigan; five grandchildren; one great-grandson; and three siblings, Willis and Ruth VanNewhiezen of Auburn, Pennsylvania, Twyla Wildung of Golden Valley, Minnesota, and Allen and Karen Vann of St. Cloud, Minnesota. She is preceded in death by her husband, Carl; her parents; and two sisters; Anetta Monsen and Claudine Dibble.