Eleanor Lavonne Brown, 91, of Brookings, formerly of Carthage, died Tuesday, October 23, 2018, at The Neighborhoods Brookview Nursing Home in Brookings. 

Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Carthage with burial to follow in Pleasantview Cemetery in Carthage. 

Visitation with family present will be one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Eleanor Lavonne Uthe was born Nov. 20, 1926, at Madison to Elmer and Caroline (Sommers) Uthe. Eleanor was raised south of Madison where she attended and graduated from Franklin High School in 1944. Eleanor then worked for a law firm as a secretary in Madison. She was united in marriage to Max Brown in January 1947, in Madison. The couple then moved to Presho, where they farmed until moving to Carthage to a farm in 1962. Eleanor and Max then adopted three children, Kathy, Kristi, and Scott. Those children, later grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchild meant everything to her. While raising her children she worked at Raven’s Industry at in Howard from 1973 to 1985, when the plant in Howard closed. Eleanor then worked several years as an independent cook for the Carthage Elementary School and loved every minute of it. The students and staff were a special part of her life and when her husband passed away on Oct. 9, 1996, that job and those students helped keep her strong and going in life. Eleanor was very active in her community, her church United Church Christ, as a librarian at the public library and active American Legion Auxiliary.  Eleanor’s health started to worsen and she moved to Brookings in 2012 to be nearer to her daughters. In 2016, she became a resident of The Neighborhoods at Brookview in Brookings. 

Eleanor loved the staff, her own room and space and all the activities. 

She is survived by her children: Kathy (Bob) Huska of Brookings, Kristi (Jim) Kramer of Brookings, Scott Brown of Isanti, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; a great-great grandchild; her two bothers Jim (Mary) Uthe of Castlewood and Ron (Kitty) Uthe of Madison other relatives and friends. 

Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband Max (1996), her brother and sisters Rosie Haak, Alvie Uthe, Robert Uthe, Darlene Hackarott and Donna Hupp. 

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.willoughbyfh.com.