Doris Eleanor Ekstrand

Doris ‘Eleanor’ Ekstrand, 90, of Centennial, Colorado passed away peacefully early Thursday morning, June 1, 2017.  

Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Centennial, where she was a member.  Burial is following the service in Littleton Cemetery.  Drinkwine Family Mortuary in Littleton, is in charge of arrangements.

Eleanor was born January 7, 1927 in Effingham County, IL, the daughter of Mabel (Kingery) Garbe.   

She married Harry T. Ekstrand, Jr., on June 3, 1959 in Mattoon, IL.  After marriage, they moved to Pomona, California where Harry, an aerospace engineer, had accepted a position with an engineering company, and later in 1972 accepted a transfer with Hughes Aircraft Company to Colorado. Eleanor was a stay-at-home homemaker, a loving mother raising their three children, and an adoring wife.

Survivors include daughters Shelli (Charles) Ellison of Castle Rock, Colorado, and Suzanne (Jeff) Lappen of Brooklyn Park, MN; son Steve (Kasia) Ekstrand of Oakland, CA; brothers Gale (Mary Lou) Garbe, Glen Carbon, IL and Garland (Mary Ellen) Kingery, Chatham, IL.  Survivors also include grandchildren Nicole Ellison, Cory (Kari)  Lappen, Michelle Lappen,  Jimmy Lappen, Sean Ekstrand, Ian Ekstrand and Niels Ekstrand; great grandsons Connor & Colin Lappen; and many nieces and nephews.   Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, infant brother Curtis Garbe, sisters Evelyn Mattis and Marcella Davis, and her husband Harry.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.

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