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The Genealogy of the Ruzicka and Manchak Families

Eleanor Theresa LINDEKEN

Eleanor Theresa LINDEKEN

Female 1929 - 2018  (88 years)


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  • Name Eleanor Theresa LINDEKEN  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
    Birth 4 Nov 1929  Glencullen/Tigard, Washington, Oregon, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 6
    Gender Female 
    Death 15 Mar 2018  Lakewood, Pierce, Washington, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Person ID I577  Family Tree
    Last Modified 8 Apr 2026 

    Father Conrad Winnibald LINDEKEN,   b. 14 Aug 1894   d. May 1975 (Age 80 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Marie Adalaid PFEIFER,   b. 4 Mar 1899, St Paul, Marion, Oregon, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Jan 1983, Regency Care Center/Walla Walla, Walla Walla, Washington, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 83 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Marriage 30 Jun 1915  Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F307  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Louis Anton RUZICKA, Jr.,   b. 1 Jun 1925, Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 Apr 2010, Regency at The Park/Walla Walla, Walla Walla, Washington, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years) 
    Marriage 15 Nov 1958  St. Joseph's Catholic Church/Kalama, Cowlitz, Washington, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4, 6
    • 21 Nov 2022 - Marriage Index source lists 29 Nov as the date of marriage. This is more than likely the date of publication of the marriage notice.
    RUZICKA, Louis A, Jr.<br>
LINDEKEN, Eleanor T
    RUZICKA, Louis A, Jr.
    LINDEKEN, Eleanor T

    Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013
    Children 
    +1. Donald Louis RUZICKA
    >2. Marie Louise RUZICKA
    +3. James Conrad RUZICKA
    +4. Nancy Clara RUZICKA
    Family ID F224  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 8 Apr 2026 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 4 Nov 1929 - Glencullen/Tigard, Washington, Oregon, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 15 Nov 1958 - St. Joseph's Catholic Church/Kalama, Cowlitz, Washington, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 15 Mar 2018 - Lakewood, Pierce, Washington, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Documents
    RUZICKA, Louis Anton
    Card of Thanks
    RUZICKA, Louis Obituary
    LINDEKEN, Marie Obituary
    LINDEKEN, Marie Obituary

    Headstones
    RUZICKA, Louis Anton, Jr.
    RUZICKA, Louis Anton, Jr.

  • Sources 
    1. [S545] Mountain View Cemetery (Walla Walla, Walla Walla, Washington, USA), Grave Markers, Catholic Cemetery Section, ca-eg-2-35.
      RUZICKA
      Louis A.
      June 1, 1925
      Apr. 27, 2010
      Eleanor T.
      Nov. 4, 1929

    2. [S477] Obituary of Louis Anton RUZICKA.
      Louis Ruzicka
      June 1, 1925 - April 27, 2010
      Louis Anton Ruzicka was born to Louis Ruzicka Sr. and Helen Merta Ruzicka on June 1, 1925, in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada. He moved to Walla Walla in 1936. He served in the Army during WWII, including participating in Operation Market Garden and Battle of the Bulge.
      He is survived by his wife, Eleanor and was married for 51 years. He is also survived by his children, Don Ruzicka of Lakewood, Wash., Marie Ruzicka of Seattle, Captain James Ruzicka and Nancy DeLaRosa of Walla Walla; twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
      Louis was a local family farmer, raising pigs, cattle, alfalfa and sugar beets. He worked for the Veterans's Administration Hospital in the mail room for 11 years. He then operated Ruzicka Stamps and Coins in downtown Walla Walla for 12 years until 1991.
      Louis was a member of the Knights of Columbus 3rd and 4th degree, and also a member of the VFW Post 466 and St. Patrick Catholic Church. He was a Cub Scout Master. He was an ardent collector, especially of stamps, and an avid bowler.
      Viewing and visitation will be Monday May 3, 2010, at Herring Groseclose Funeral Home from 11 a.m. until after the Rosary. Vigil Service and Rosary will be 7 p.m. at the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Walla Walla Senior Center Adult Daycare through the funeral home.

    3. [S940] U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current.
      Name: Louis Anton Ruzicka Jr
      Gender: Male
      Residence Date: Abt 1958
      Residence Place: Walla Walla
      Residence Place 2: Walla Walla-Granada
      Marriage Date: 29 Nov 1958
      Marriage Place: Kalama, Washington, USA
      Father: Louis Ruzicka
      Mother: Ruzicka
      Spouse: Eleanor Lindeken
      Siblings:
      Johnny Ruzicka
      Charlie Ruzicka

    4. [S884] Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013.
      Name: Louis A Ruzicka
      Marriage Date: 15 Nov 1958
      Marriage Place: Walla Walla, Washington, USA
      Date Recorded: 19 Nov 1958
      Spouse: Eleanor T Lindeken

    5. [S1096] Obituary of Marie LINDEKEN, (Name: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin; Location: Walla Walla, Walla Walla, Washington, USA; Date: 15 jan 1983;), Refer to original image for missing verbiage. Only text relating directly to family members has been included.
      Marie Lindeken

      Mrs. Lindeken is survived by one daughter, Eleanor Ruzicka of Walla Walla; one son, Walter Lindeken of Cougar, Wash.; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

      -------------------------
      obituary notices
      -------------------------
      LINDEKEN - January 13, 1983 at Regency Care Center, Marie Lindeken, 84, of 225 Woodland St., Walla Walla. Born in St. Paul, Oregon on March 4, 1899. Member of: St. Patrick Catholic Church, St. Patrick Altar Society. Survived by a daughter; Mrs. Louis (Eleanor) Ruzicka of Walla Walla; a son, Walter Lindeken of Cougar, Washington; 7 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

      -------------------------
      funeral notices
      -------------------------
      LINDEKEN - Funeral Mass for the late Marie Lindeken of 225 Woodland St., Walla Walla will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 16, 1983 at St. Patrick Catholic Church with Monsignor Arthur Mertens, Celebrant. Interment in Catholic Section of Mountain View Cemetery. Pallbearers will be John Ruzicka, Charles Ruzicka, Gerald Ruzicka, Ed Ruzicka, Larry Preso, and Ed Chvatal.

    6. [S1098] Obituary of Eleanor RUZICKA, (Date: Abt. 17 Mar 2018;).
      Eleanor (Lindeken) Ruzicka was born on November 4, 1929 and passed on March 15, 2018 in Lakewood Washington at the home of her Son Don and Daughter-in- Law Loralee who served as her primary caregiver for the last 3 and a half years. Eleanor is survived by her children Don in Lakewood, Marie in Seattle, James in Cincinnati and Nancy DeLaRosa in Walla Walla as well as 8 Grandchildren and 9 Great Grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

      Grandchildren include: Jason Ruzicka, Andy DeLaRosa, Melissa Dofelmier, Erin Hilton, Michael Ruzicka, Karen Ruzicka, Emilie DeLaRosa, Matthew DeLaRosa, Lucas DeLaRosa

      Eleanor Lindeken, was born on November 4, 1929 in Glen Cullen (now part of Tigard) Oregon. Their family joke was that her birth caused the Great Depression.

      Soon after Eleanor was born, her parents Conrad and Marie moved Eleanor and her older brother Walter up the Columbia River to Kalama Washington following a job available on the docks there. They lived on the flats, in a small shack. Mom talked later about the men walking up the railroad tracks looking for work. Her mother did laundry and sewing for the rich women in town.

      In 1932, Conrad was crushed in an accident between shipping crates. He was sent to the hospital in Longview and put in a full body cast. He was not expected to walk again.

      For 6 long months, once a week Marie and the children would take the bus to the hospital to visit her dad...this left a lasting impression on all of them.

      When Conrad was able to go home, he worked hard to walk again, and was successful!

      Conrad finally received a cash settlement for the accident, and they were able to put a down payment on a house up the hill in Kalama.

      12 year old Eleanor was visiting the Portland zoo with family on the morning of December 7, 1941 when she learned about Pearl Harbor.

      During the war, Kalama became a port that had many sailors drop in at to party. Eleanor’s parents decided that they did not want their teenage daughter in town at that time, so in 1943 they sent her to a Catholic boarding school.

      Eleanor did well at St Mary’s outside of Toledo Washington under the tutelage of the nuns there. She was active in basketball and drama, and was the Senior Class President. She graduated in 1947.

      When she went back home to Kalama, Eleanor went to work at the Phone Company in Longview as a switch board operator.

      At age 21, she decided to move to Portland as a single woman ala Mary Tyler Moore and got a job doing newspaper ad development for a jewelry store there. She lived in a room above the store.

      In 1952, Eleanor took a federal government employment test, and was soon contacted by the Veterans Hospital in Walla Walla to come to work there as a switch board operator. She moved there in November of that year and lived in an apartment house on Catherine Street. She did not own a car, and would often walk to work. Her neighbors included Doctor Bradford who became our family dentist and Gerry Lyons who became a life-long friend. A couple of years later, she moved into a small house across the street from the apartment house.

      Eleanor was active here at St Patrick’s. She was a member of Catholic Daughters and a Singles group called the Dominic Club. One of the fellow members of the club was Louis Ruzicka. They officially met running a booth together at a church bazaar.

      They were married in Kalama on November 15, 1958. They spent their Honeymoon in Europe for 3 months!!! They then settled into their house on the family farm.

      Don born 9 months later, and Marie, James and Nancy were all born within the next 4 years. So Eleanor at one time had 4 toddlers and later 4 teenagers!

      Mom felt the purpose of her life was to raise her children and make our lives better- on that she exceeded her goals. We participated in music, drama and sports and went to Catholic school.

      During the last 3 ½ years of her life, Mom moved in with Don and Loralee in Lakewood. We were blessed to be with her in our home when she took her last breath.

      Louis died in 2010. They were married for nearly 52 years.

      There will be a Celebration of Eleanor's Life at the Saint Patrick’s Blanchet Hall on Saturday June 30 at 11:00.


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