Eleanor J. Langstraat

February 25, 1935 - October 23, 2020

Eleanor Langstraat, 85, of Oskaloosa, died Friday, October 23, 2020, at the MHP Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa. She was born February 25, 1935, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the daughter of Harry W. and Anna E. Ankeney McCarty. When Eleanor was three her mother and sister were killed in an automobile accident. Following the loss of both of them, Eleanor went to live with her aunt and uncle Ella and Ed Winchell. They took her in as their own and she enjoyed many years helping them in their award-winning peonies. She graduated from Oskaloosa High School with the class of 1953. Following high school, she attended art school for a year. She returned to Oskaloosa and went to work at Alsop’s. She later went to work for Kraske’s in Oskaloosa. On June 5, 1958, she was united in marriage to Lawrence Langstraat in Oskaloosa. Eleanor continued to work following their marriage. When her daughter Sherry was born, she decided to stay home to care for her family and home. She was a member of Central Reformed Church in Oskaloosa. On September 24, 2006, Lawrence died, however Eleanor was able to stay in her home. She enjoyed art, crocheting, needlework, knitting, puzzle books, and games. She loved to play cards and always looked forward to getting together with friends for card nights. In later years she and her daughter Sherry enjoyed going to Penn Central Mall and visiting with their friends. Her family includes her two children, Sherry Langstraat of Oskaloosa, Mark (Susan) Langstraat of Columbia, Missouri; a grandson, Kurt (Nicole) Langstraat; three great grandchildren, Jenna, Zylor, and Riley; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. In addition to her husband, Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Anna McCarty and Shirley Gibbons; and two brothers, Floyd McCarty and Herold McCarty. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 31, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the Central Reformed Church in Oskaloosa with Reverend Jon Nelson officiating. There will be a family prayer service at 9:45 Saturday morning in the east lounge of the church. The Bates Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. According to the rules put in place by the Iowa Department of Public Health, proper social distancing and reasonable personal protective equipment is advised for attending a religious public event. The funeral service will be live streamed at the funeral home’s YouTube Channel for those wishing to support the family from a distance. Visitation will begin Friday after 12 noon in the Bates Funeral Chapel and the family will be at the funeral chapel from 5-7 Friday evening to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to MHP Hospice Serenity House, Central Reformed Church, Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter, or Imagine the Possibilities.