Eleanor E. Drury

MADISON / PORTAGE  --  Eleanor E. Drury, age 99, of Portage, died on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at Agrace Hospice in Madison.

Eleanor was born on February 16, 1917 in Cambria to David D. and Candace (Chrislow) Williams.  After graduating from Cambria High School and receiving her BA from UW-Milwaukee, she taught Kindergarten in the Richland Center and Portage public schools.  She was married to Charles J. Drury on November 7, 1942 at St. Mary’s Church in New Orleans. 

Eleanor dedicated much of her life to small children.  She organized the first pre-school story hour at the Portage Public Library and was known as the “story lady” for 16 years.  As a teacher of small children she believed the most important thing to share is the feeling that school is a wonderful place to acquire knowledge and skills.  Her dream was for students to maintain that zest for knowledge all their lives.

She belonged to several charitable and civic organizations including the Women’s Civic League for 70 years, was a charter member of the Divine Savior Hospital Auxiliary and Portage Elkettes.  She was a life member of the Cambria-Friesland Historical Society, being part of the Welsh Tan-y-bwlch and Dolwyddelan Family.  She was also a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Women’s Club and life member of the Portage Country Club, as well as a life-long Badger fan.

She served on the Portage Center for the Arts Board of Trustees for 20 years and especially directed her energy to creating and running the Drury Art Gallery.  She received the Portage School Board Recognition Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Education” in 1995.  She was noted as “Distinguished Person” in the Portage area in 2002.  In 2004 she was selected as the “Concerned Citizens for the Arts” award by the Wisconsin Art Education Association and honored at the State Capital. 

Her hobbies included travel, bridge with friends, flower gardening, reading and golf.  She especially loved spring flowers as a symbol of new life and maintained beautiful seasonal gardens at both her home and cottage.   

Survivors are her daughter, Mary Ellyn and son-in-law, F. Joseph Sensenbrenner, Jr. two grandsons, Joe Sensenbrenner his wife, Jennifer of Philadelphia, PA, and David Drury Sensenbrenner of Madison, and three great-grandchildren, Finley Jonathan, Matthew Charles, and Elizabeth Jane Sensenbrenner of Philadelphia, as well as many other dear relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her son, Robert Charles, her husband, Atty. Charles Joseph Drury, her parents, her brother, David D. Williams, and sister, Mary Evelyn Mair.                       

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Portage.  Inurnment will be private in St. Mary Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the church. The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to your favorite charity, Portage Center for the Arts, or St. Mary’s tuition fund.

 
After Glow

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the way
Of happy times and laughing times
And bright, sunny days

I’d like the tears of those who grieve
To be gone before the sun
Of happy memories that I leave
When my life is done.
-Helen Lowrie Marshall