Eleonore Bollinger

Eleonore Bollinger, 87, Bismarck, died December 27, 2017, at the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 am Saturday, December 30, at Church of Corpus Christi, 1919 N. 2nd St., Bismarck, with Rev. Paul Becker officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Friday, December 29, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck. Eleonore Emilie was born October 8, 1930, in Mannheim, Germany, to Willi and Luise (Schoefer) Winkel. She lived in Mannheim throughout much of her childhood, but at the outbreak of World War II the children of the city were evacuated because of heavy Allied bombing, and she went to live with her grandparents in nearby Schwetzingen till the end of the war. Following the war she worked as a nanny to the two young sons of an American major stationed with the occupying forces, and it was at that time she met Sergeant Ellis R. Nell of Ellendale, North Dakota. After a three-year courtship they received permission from the American government to wed, and they were married April 26, 1952, at Kassel, Germany. Shortly after their wedding, however, Ellis developed acute leukemia, and he died July 29, 1952. Eleonore accompanied her husband's body for burial in Ellendale, and despite the expiration of the three-month visa issued to her for that purpose, she remained stateside at the insistence of Ellis's mother. As one would expect, this decision wasn't met with cheery approval by the U.S. State Department, but after two years and the intervention of both North Dakota senators - Milton Young and William Langer - a bill was signed by President Dwight Eisenhower to make her a permanent resident of the United States. Upon resolution of her immigration status, Eleonore decided to attend college, and during her time at the Ellendale State Teacher's College she met Edgar Bollinger of Monango, North Dakota. They were married on September 2, 1955, in Ellendale, and together they raised son Dwight and daughter Mary. Eleonore ultimately received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Mayville State College, and she taught for 33 years - 12 years in McKenzie (6th, 7th, and 8th grades) and 21 years in Bismarck (German). She was a life member of the National Education Association and Retired Teachers, and she earned entry into the "Who's Who Among American Teachers." She is survived by son, Dwight (Cathy) Bollinger; daughter, Mary Bollinger; grandchildren, Emily Bollinger, Alex (Aly) Bollinger, and Erin (Tim) McBride; and great-grandsons, Brody Bollinger and Sawyer Bollinger. Preceding her in death were her first husband, Ellis; her second husband, Edgar; and her parents, Willi and Luise Winkel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Central Dakota Humane Society, 2104 37th St, Mandan, ND 58554, or a charity of the donor’s choice.