Eleanor Catherine Thines

Eleanor Catherine Thines, age 87, of Preston, Iowa, passed away Thursday, July 8, 2021 at Jackson County Regional Health Center, Maquoketa, Iowa. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Preston. A memorial visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Monday, July 12, 2021 at the Catholic Church in Preston.

Eleanor was born in Preston on May 10, 1934, the daughter of Raymond and Laura (Feller) Bormann. When Eleanor was young her mother passed away in childbirth. Raymond remarried to Florabelle Michels who helped raise Eleanor. Eleanor attended Pleasant Valley Country Schools. On August 3, 1953, Eleanor married Lawrence Thines. Together they raised eight children and celebrated 39 years of marriage until Lawrence’s death in 1993.

Eleanor worked at The Alverno as a CNA for many years and earned a reputation for being hard-working and dedicated to her clients. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Preston.

"That woman could make bread," along with homemade donuts, pies, spaghetti sauce and jellies. She loved to cook and share her recipies, but there weren't many that could match her skill in the kitchen, and everyone wanted more. Eleanor was especially known for her pancakes. Besides cooking she had a very large garden, loved building her Christmas village with Santa Claus, and collected porcelain dolls.

Eleanor will be dearly missed by her eight children, Diane (Tom) Ernst of DeWitt, Iowa, LouAnn (Roger) Heiar of Bellevue, Iowa, Roxanne (Tom) Portz of Maquoketa, Iowa, Lawrence, Jr. (Madonna) Thines of Preston, Marianne Thines of Lebanon, New Hampshire, John (fiancée Carla Holdgrafer) Thines of Preston, Jim (Kristi) Thines of Maquoketa, and Craig (Shelley) Thines of Preston; 22 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren; four brothers, Bob (Madonna) Bormann of Monticello, Iowa, David (Gwen) Bormann of Dubuque, Iowa, Dennis (Becky) Bormann of Preston and Raymond (Lisa) Bormann of Preston; five sisters, Laura (Junior) Steines, of Bellevue, Lavonne Gerlach of Maquoketa, Arlene (Ed) Skoff of DeWitt, Zita (Bill) Bloomhoff of Albany, Illinois and Joyce Miller of Preston; and a sister-in-law, Darla Bormann


Eleanor is preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence; her parents; her stepmother, Florabelle; two great-granddaughters, Emily Rheingans and Ilah Portz, two brothers, Arnold and Dale; and two brothers-in-law, David “Whitey” Miller and Roger Gerlach.