Eleanor Lillian Solbreken, age 97, life-long resident of Brooten, Minnesota passed away on October 6, 2015 after a few short weeks stay at the Bethesda Heritage Center Nursing home in Willmar, Minnesota. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12th at West Lake Johanna Lutheran Church in rural Brooten.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Eleanor was born to Torgus and Anna (Medalen) Olson on July 1, 1918 in Lake Johanna Township as the tenth of eleven children.  She was baptized and confirmed at the Sunburg Free Church.  She attended the Country School District 56 and was very proud to have graduated from the 8 ^th grade.

On June 19, 1935 she married Lawrence Solbreken and they were blessed with six children.  Their life together was spent living and working together on a dairy farm.  When Lawrence passed away in 1974, Eleanor remained on the farm with her youngest son.  Up until a few weeks ago, she continued to make farming decisions and help with the day-to-day operations.

Eleanor was a member of the West Ladies-Aid.  She was a long-time active member at West Lake Johanna Lutheran Church where she also taught Sunday School for many years. She enjoyed tending to a large vegetable garden and growing many different types of flowers found in various areas around her home.  Eleanor also enjoyed many years of weaving rag rugs, hand quilting, crocheting doilies and embroidering pillowcases and dishtowels.  She was always prepared for coffee time with homemade cookies and treats for everyone to enjoy. She enjoyed preparing holiday meals and watching her family grow over the years.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband Lawrence, a baby girl, her parents, four sisters and five brothers (Dathilda, Berthina, Geoline, Alma, Oloyd, Tilbert, Orlynn, a baby boy and Ernest), many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Eleanor is survived by her sister Edna Olson of Montrose, MN; children: Gerald Solbreken of Willmar, Dale (Mary) Solbrekken of LaCrosse, WI, Loren (Donna) Solbreken of Brooten, JoAnn (Doug) Pettit of Benson and David Solbreken of Brooten; Grandchildren: Dean (Lori) Pettit, Karon (Tom) Mooney, Dawn Pettit, Daran (Lisa) Solbreken, Teresa Pettit, Gary (Yvonne) Solbrekken, and Donovan (Mary) Solbreken; Great-grandchildren Anthony (Jennifer) Pettit, Nicole Pettit, Moriah Hovde, Tiana Solbreken, Jacob Solbreken, Hannah Hovde, and J. Oliver Hovde; and many loving nieces, nephews and cousins.

May God bless Eleanor and her memory forever.

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7