Eleanor Achilles, 90-year-old Ten Sleep resident, passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014 at the Washakie Medical Center in Worland.
Eleanor was born Nov. 7, 1923 in Mt. Hope, Kansas to Herbert and Vera (Loughin) Pike. She grew up in The Great Depression and the blight of the Dust Bowl in Kansas. She graduated from high school in Mt. Hope in 1941. While in high school, she met her life-long sweetheart and future husband, Wilmer Achilles. After graduation, he went overseas to serve his country in World War II and she went to nurses training at St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. Upon receiving her R.N., she moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to begin her nursing career.
Wilmer returned from the war, and they were married on Dec. 8, 1946. She partnered with her husband and his brother in a business venture in Hutchinson. They opened a grocery store attached to a full-service gas station, one of the first "convenience" stores before Maverick or Mini Mart were invented. They had one daughter.
In 1957, her husband decided they needed to "go west." They moved to Worland and opened a furniture store, Fair Deal Furniture, in partnership with Wilmer's brother. Eventually they opened their own store, The Shoppe, in 1970. She loved her life in Worland. She worked for the Washakie Memorial Hospital, Cloud Peak Manor, Dr. Froyd, Dr. Horsley, and Dr. Gatowski. They traveled to Spain, London, Hawaii, Israel and every state in the continental U.S. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and taught the girls camping, first aid, survival skills, cooking and other worldly skills. She loved camping and fishing. They went up the mountain every chance they got. In the years before she retired, she learned how to golf, adding to her many skills including knitting, crocheting, painting, needlepoint, stained glass, and quilting. She was also an accomplished silversmith.
In 1986, Eleanor and Wilmer retired and became snowbirds, living in Yuma, Arizona during the winter and Worland all summer. Eleanor stayed full time in Arizona after losing her husband in 2000. In 2009, she moved to Kemmerer to live with her daughter. When her daughter retired, she moved with her family, Connie and Bob (Sonny) Sweeney to Ten Sleep in April 2011. She enjoyed meeting with her friends at the Ten Sleep Senior Center and playing games and cards. She loved being back in the Big Horn Basin.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a sister; and a brother.
She is survived by her daughter, Connie; two grandchildren, Lara (Grant) Gertsch and Shane (Jill) Sweeney; and five great-grandchildren, Grace Gertsch and Tyler, Brittney, BreeAnna, & Lillian Sweeney.
© Northern Wyoming Daily News July 31, 2014
Eleanor was born Nov. 7, 1923 in Mt. Hope, Kansas to Herbert and Vera (Loughin) Pike. She grew up in The Great Depression and the blight of the Dust Bowl in Kansas. She graduated from high school in Mt. Hope in 1941. While in high school, she met her life-long sweetheart and future husband, Wilmer Achilles. After graduation, he went overseas to serve his country in World War II and she went to nurses training at St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. Upon receiving her R.N., she moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to begin her nursing career.
Wilmer returned from the war, and they were married on Dec. 8, 1946. She partnered with her husband and his brother in a business venture in Hutchinson. They opened a grocery store attached to a full-service gas station, one of the first "convenience" stores before Maverick or Mini Mart were invented. They had one daughter.
In 1957, her husband decided they needed to "go west." They moved to Worland and opened a furniture store, Fair Deal Furniture, in partnership with Wilmer's brother. Eventually they opened their own store, The Shoppe, in 1970. She loved her life in Worland. She worked for the Washakie Memorial Hospital, Cloud Peak Manor, Dr. Froyd, Dr. Horsley, and Dr. Gatowski. They traveled to Spain, London, Hawaii, Israel and every state in the continental U.S. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and taught the girls camping, first aid, survival skills, cooking and other worldly skills. She loved camping and fishing. They went up the mountain every chance they got. In the years before she retired, she learned how to golf, adding to her many skills including knitting, crocheting, painting, needlepoint, stained glass, and quilting. She was also an accomplished silversmith.
In 1986, Eleanor and Wilmer retired and became snowbirds, living in Yuma, Arizona during the winter and Worland all summer. Eleanor stayed full time in Arizona after losing her husband in 2000. In 2009, she moved to Kemmerer to live with her daughter. When her daughter retired, she moved with her family, Connie and Bob (Sonny) Sweeney to Ten Sleep in April 2011. She enjoyed meeting with her friends at the Ten Sleep Senior Center and playing games and cards. She loved being back in the Big Horn Basin.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a sister; and a brother.
She is survived by her daughter, Connie; two grandchildren, Lara (Grant) Gertsch and Shane (Jill) Sweeney; and five great-grandchildren, Grace Gertsch and Tyler, Brittney, BreeAnna, & Lillian Sweeney.
© Northern Wyoming Daily News July 31, 2014
Eleanor Achilles, 90-year-old Ten Sleep resident, passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014 at the Washakie Medical Center in Worland.
Eleanor was born Nov. 7, 1923 in Mt. Hope, Kansas to Herbert and Vera (Loughin) Pike. She grew up in The Great Depression and the blight of the Dust Bowl in Kansas. She graduated from high school in Mt. Hope in 1941. While in high school, she met her life-long sweetheart and future husband, Wilmer Achilles. After graduation, he went overseas to serve his country in World War II and she went to nurses training at St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. Upon receiving her R.N., she moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to begin her nursing career.
Wilmer returned from the war, and they were married on Dec. 8, 1946. She partnered with her husband and his brother in a business venture in Hutchinson. They opened a grocery store attached to a full-service gas station, one of the first "convenience" stores before Maverick or Mini Mart were invented. They had one daughter.
In 1957, her husband decided they needed to "go west." They moved to Worland and opened a furniture store, Fair Deal Furniture, in partnership with Wilmer's brother. Eventually they opened their own store, The Shoppe, in 1970. She loved her life in Worland. She worked for the Washakie Memorial Hospital, Cloud Peak Manor, Dr. Froyd, Dr. Horsley, and Dr. Gatowski. They traveled to Spain, London, Hawaii, Israel and every state in the continental U.S. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and taught the girls camping, first aid, survival skills, cooking and other worldly skills. She loved camping and fishing. They went up the mountain every chance they got. In the years before she retired, she learned how to golf, adding to her many skills including knitting, crocheting, painting, needlepoint, stained glass, and quilting. She was also an accomplished silversmith.
In 1986, Eleanor and Wilmer retired and became snowbirds, living in Yuma, Arizona during the winter and Worland all summer. Eleanor stayed full time in Arizona after losing her husband in 2000. In 2009, she moved to Kemmerer to live with her daughter. When her daughter retired, she moved with her family, Connie and Bob (Sonny) Sweeney to Ten Sleep in April 2011. She enjoyed meeting with her friends at the Ten Sleep Senior Center and playing games and cards. She loved being back in the Big Horn Basin.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a sister; and a brother.
She is survived by her daughter, Connie; two grandchildren, Lara (Grant) Gertsch and Shane (Jill) Sweeney; and five great-grandchildren, Grace Gertsch and Tyler, Brittney, BreeAnna, & Lillian Sweeney.
© Northern Wyoming Daily News July 31, 2014
Eleanor was born Nov. 7, 1923 in Mt. Hope, Kansas to Herbert and Vera (Loughin) Pike. She grew up in The Great Depression and the blight of the Dust Bowl in Kansas. She graduated from high school in Mt. Hope in 1941. While in high school, she met her life-long sweetheart and future husband, Wilmer Achilles. After graduation, he went overseas to serve his country in World War II and she went to nurses training at St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. Upon receiving her R.N., she moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to begin her nursing career.
Wilmer returned from the war, and they were married on Dec. 8, 1946. She partnered with her husband and his brother in a business venture in Hutchinson. They opened a grocery store attached to a full-service gas station, one of the first "convenience" stores before Maverick or Mini Mart were invented. They had one daughter.
In 1957, her husband decided they needed to "go west." They moved to Worland and opened a furniture store, Fair Deal Furniture, in partnership with Wilmer's brother. Eventually they opened their own store, The Shoppe, in 1970. She loved her life in Worland. She worked for the Washakie Memorial Hospital, Cloud Peak Manor, Dr. Froyd, Dr. Horsley, and Dr. Gatowski. They traveled to Spain, London, Hawaii, Israel and every state in the continental U.S. She was a Girl Scout troop leader and taught the girls camping, first aid, survival skills, cooking and other worldly skills. She loved camping and fishing. They went up the mountain every chance they got. In the years before she retired, she learned how to golf, adding to her many skills including knitting, crocheting, painting, needlepoint, stained glass, and quilting. She was also an accomplished silversmith.
In 1986, Eleanor and Wilmer retired and became snowbirds, living in Yuma, Arizona during the winter and Worland all summer. Eleanor stayed full time in Arizona after losing her husband in 2000. In 2009, she moved to Kemmerer to live with her daughter. When her daughter retired, she moved with her family, Connie and Bob (Sonny) Sweeney to Ten Sleep in April 2011. She enjoyed meeting with her friends at the Ten Sleep Senior Center and playing games and cards. She loved being back in the Big Horn Basin.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a sister; and a brother.
She is survived by her daughter, Connie; two grandchildren, Lara (Grant) Gertsch and Shane (Jill) Sweeney; and five great-grandchildren, Grace Gertsch and Tyler, Brittney, BreeAnna, & Lillian Sweeney.
© Northern Wyoming Daily News July 31, 2014
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