Eleanor Rinker

Graveside funeral services for Eleanor Rinker, a 95-year-old Sheridan resident who passed away Monday morning at Westview Health Care Center in Sheridan, will be held Tuesday, February 13^th at 2:00 p.m. in Willow Grove Cemetery in Buffalo with Reverend Aaron Hughes officiating. A reception will follow graveside services at the Big Horn Mountain Eagles, 1760 Commercial Avenue in Sheridan.  Donations in Eleanor’s memory may be made to St. Joseph’s Indian School at 1301 N. Main in Chamberlain, South Dakota 57325 or Tunnel to Towers Foundation at 2361 Hylan Blvd Staten Island New York 10306. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com.

Eleanor Marie Rinker was born on May 19, 1928, in Wilmore, Kansas to John and Erma Wood. She lived in Kansas until the age of six when the Great Depression forced the family of ten to relocate to Sheridan County, Wyoming.  She went to school in Sheridan and attended Sheridan High School. It was in high school that she met the love of her life Milo G. Rinker, and they were married in Hardin, Montana on October 1^st, 1943.  They made their home in Sheridan where Milo worked on a local dairy farm and later for Jersey Creamery. Eleanor was a stay-at-home mom and worked part-time at Zuck’s Café and later at Boyd’s Supermarket.

In July of 1944, Eleanor and Milo were blessed with their first daughter, Judith, in Sheridan, and in May of 1946 Milo Eugene was born in Fontana California, then in September 1947, Gloria Helen was born in Sheridan.

In 1963, the family moved to Fontana, California to work at Challenge Creamery. They lived in Fontana for forty-three years. In October of 2007, Eleanor and Milo returned to Sheridan to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Milo passed away in April 2020 and Eleanor continued living in Sheridan until her death. She is survived by two daughters, Judy Taylor and her husband George of Dayton, Wyoming, and Gloria Rinker of Sheridan; one sister Dorothy Grooms also of Sheridan; seven grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her son Milo E. Rinker, two brothers, and four sisters.