Eleanor (Soukup) Andersh has been a lifelong Wagner resident. When she began school, she first attended the Big Tobacco country school which was located three miles from the Soukup family’s rural residence. She attended the Big Tobacco school for first and second grade and then again in eighth grade. When the weather was nice, she would have to walk home from school. For her third-grade year of school, Eleanor was sent to the Tabor Catholic School at the Saint Wenceslaus Catholic Church which at the time was also a boarding school with a dormitory. Her parents decided to send Eleanor and later her sister Mary to the catholic boarding school after her older brothers had graduated from the eighth grade from the Big Tobacco country school.

The first year that Eleanor attended the boarding school there were four other area children that also went with her. Fred Kocer, Ed Soukup, Ann Doty, Bernard Stepina and Eleanor were driven the hour or more drive to Tabor to attend school. Eleanor and the others stayed at the dorms and would maybe get to come home once or twice a month, which was even less than that in the winter months. The parents would take turns taking and picking up the children. Eleanor was only eight and nine years old when she first started attending the boarding school. She can distinctly remember during the drives to the school, when the car would get about three miles away from the church, Eleanor could see the church steeple and would just start crying because she knew it would be a long time before she would come home. Imagine being so young and not knowing when you would be coming back home to be with family. There were times when the kids would have to catch the bus, train and even an airplane to go to school or come back home from the boarding school because of the weather. Eleanor attended the Tabor Catholic School through seventh grade. Over the years, the number of students from the local area grew until there were two car loads of students attending the catholic school.

In eighth grade, her parents decided that it was time for Eleanor to come back home and attend the Big Tobacco country school for her eighth grade year. Whereas many rural children stopped their education at the eighth grade, Eleanor’s mother wanted Eleanor to attend high school in Wagner. During the week, Eleanor would stay with her father’s brother, Mike, and his wife Lillian at their home in Wagner. Every Friday, depending on the weather, Eleanor’s mother would come pick her up and take her home. In 1951, Eleanor graduated from the Wagner High School in a class with 25 other students.

Eleanor was the third of four children in her family with her brother Raymond being the oldest, followed by Robert then Eleanor and finally the baby of the family, Mary. Eleanor’s brothers completed their education at the eighth grade because they were needed to help on the family farm, but both Eleanor and her sister Mary attended and graduated from high school. When home, Eleanor and her sister, Mary did the traditional

kind of chores that women did then with taking care of the chickens, eggs and having to clean house on Saturdays while her mom baked all day.

Eleanor began working while she was in high school at Crab’s Grocery store which was located on the south end of the Wagner main street by where the Wagner Theatre is now located. She then worked for Summer’s Grocery store which was located where Bures-Kronaizl Insurance is currently. She started working for Summer’s Grocery when owner, Joe Summers, approached her. He was an elderly gentleman who needed some help especially on Sundays when people would grocery shop after attending church. Eleanor felt that this job is what really got her started in her working career. She then worked for Buches for 14 years as a checker and stocker. After working at Buches, Eleanor worked at the Fort Randall Casino in the kitchen doing prep and taking care of the buffet for six and a half years before retiring. Retirement did not last long for Eleanor, after about a year of not working she returned to the workforce. Eleanor worked for Super Foods for a short period of time before returning to work at the casino.

Before moving to town, Eleanor and her husband farmed in addition to both working other jobs. While on the farm, Eleanor helped with the fieldwork. She was in charge of plowing, disking and dragging the fields.

Eleanor married Robert Andersh June 14th of 1955. They had met while they were in high school; Robert was a year older than Eleanor. They did not marry right after high school. Robert was drafted by the Army and was sent overseas to Germany. They have two children David and Jean Marie. The couple has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Eleanor’s late husband, Robert, worked 31 years as a clerk and rural carrier for the United States Postal Service. During that time, he also farmed for 14 years. After he retired, he then worked at the Fort Randall Casino.

Eleanor is a very special woman whose belief in volunteering and giving back to people and her community has been a staple in her entire life. Even at 90 years of age, Eleanor still volunteers and gives back to the Wagner community. Just this month, she was baking and bringing desserts to the Wagner American Legion Auxiliary for their annual soup and sandwich fundraiser. Of course, she brought her famous dessert, poppy seed cake, which is always a crowd favorite.

Over the years she has been a member of the St. John’s Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters, Altar Society (has served as President in the past), the Wagner Hospital Auxiliary, the Catholic Workman and the Wagner American Legion Auxiliary. She even took care of her dad, George, before he passed for three years in order to keep him from having to go to a nursing home. When asked why she started volunteering and has continued to, Eleanor said that it gives her something to do and is a way to give back. She feels lucky that she is still able to get out and be a part of community activities. It is also a good way for Eleanor to socialize. Eleanor was raised in a time when people helped each other to get through the tough times and if people were able to help, they never said no. This life lesson that has continued to be a part of her life philosophy.

Eleanor is definitely deserving of the time old adage of they broke the mold with her. Three words that have been used to describe Eleanor are hardworking, dependable and family first. These are just a few of the many wonderful words that can be used to describe Eleanor. Eleanor’s giving spirit is something that is not seen often, but definitely needs to be celebrated. Thank you, Eleanor, for continuing to volunteer and give back to the Wagner community. You set a wonderful example for the rest of us that age is just a number and it is important to be involved when we are able to in the community. That is why Eleanor Andersh is a person that people should know.