Eleanor Maye Vandel

November 4, 1913 - June 26, 2013

Eleanor Maye (Hastings) Vandel TORRINGTON, Wyo. — Eleanor Maye (Hastings) Vandel, 99, died Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at Community Hospital in Torrington. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 1, at the United Methodist Church with Reverends Curtis Hill and Bryan Kroeger officiating. Burial will follow in the Valley View Cemetery. Memorials may be made to either the Torrington United Methodist Church or the Eastern Wyoming College to the “Kelley and Eleanor Vandel Student Welding Scholarship.” Visitation will be Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home and the casket will be closed at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends may send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com Eleanor was born Nov. 4, 1913 in York, Neb. the daughter of L.E. “Lee” and Ida Faye (Tucker) Hastings. After birth her mother brought her back to the Hastings homestead near Chugwater, Wyo. They moved to Torrington, where she attended school and graduated Torrington High School in 1931. Eleanor attended one year of college at Colorado University. She married Kelley Vandel in 1934 and to this union three sons were born. Kelley worked for Holly Sugar Corporation, which allowed them to live in Tracy, Calif., Hardin, Mont., Colorado Springs, Colo., and Torrington. Eleanor was a loving wife to her husband, loving and supportive mother to her three sons, grandmother to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a loving guide and support to her daughters-in-law. She was in addition to her family a somewhat surrogate Mom to several of he son’s friends. She was very active in the United Methodist Church, assisted at the Goshen County Courthouse during tax seasons and elections, a 4-H leader and most of all a wonderful homemaker. Eleanor was a past Matron of the Torrington Eastern Star, a member of the United Methodist Church, Church Circle, Music Club, and the Gleaner’s Union. She enjoyed her flower garden, sewing, playing the piano (well into her 90’s), playing cards, and traveling. She also enjoyed attending most of the events in which her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were involved in including fishing and camping trips. In summary she enjoyed life and all the people in her life. Survivors include her sons John (Joyce) Vandel of Laramie, Wyo., Jim (Judy) Vandel of Star Valley Ranch (Thayne), Wyo., and Dick (Jeanine) Vandel of Torrington; grandchildren, Timothy (Tim) Vandel, Mary (Vandel) Young, Michael (Mike) Vandel, Kerri (Vandel) Kilgore, Kelley Vandel, Kara (Vandel) Kuykendall, Elizabeth (Liz) Vandel, Deanna (Vandel) Mitchell, and Courtney (Vandel) Birkley; 14 great-grandchildren; a close nephew, Gerald W. (Jerry) Russell of Casper, Wyo.; and a close niece Jan Wellborn, of Westminster, Colo. Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Faye Hastings; husband, J. Kelley; granddaughter, Andrea Vandel; sister, Eva Craig; and brother, Robert (Bob) Hastings.