Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272211
Title: Eleanor M. Leppke
Date: 10/23/1928-6/16/2026
Inscription/Marks: 10/23/1928
Summary: Eleanor Marie Leppke passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026, at Valley Senior Living on 42nd in Grand Forks, ND. Her life was a testimony of God’s faithfulness, answered prayers, and the quiet strength of a woman who trusted the Lord through every season. A funeral was held June 23, 2026, at Grace Baptist Church, Grand Forks. Burial was in Carrington Cemetery, Carrington, ND.
Eleanor was born on October 23, 1928, in Grand Forks, the daughter of David Earnest and Marie Ann (Kranzler) Dutt. Her spiritual heritage was deeply rooted in the faith of her maternal grandparents, Bernhardt and Barbara (Kammerer) Kranzler, who immigrated from Russia in 1905. They were among the group of Germans who started First German Baptist Church in Grand Forks in 1909, later renamed Grace Baptist Church in the 1940s.
Faith was the foundation of Eleanor’s life from an early age. Church attendance on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening was an important part of her upbringing. At the age of twelve, during a revival service at church, Eleanor went forward and accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. That decision shaped the rest of her life.
Eleanor graduated from Central High School in Grand Forks in 1947. Before and after graduation, she held a variety of jobs, including babysitting, picking potatoes, setting bowling pins, waitressing at Black’s Sweet Shop/Cafe, working the lunch counter at Woolworth’s, and later working in the office at Woolworth’s and at Dakota Chief Sales doing payroll and switchboard operation.
In July of 1949, Eleanor met the love of her life, Lowell E. Leppke of Carrington, ND, at Camp Bentley in Drake, ND. Eleanor had prayed that the Lord would give her a Christian husband, and that prayer was answered in a way she would remember for the rest of her life. She and Lowell ended up sitting beside each other at chapel service and later at the campfire. Lowell wasted no time in asking her to go for a car ride, as he had brought a car, and then a boat ride the next morning, as he had also brought a boat. They promised to write letters to each other and continued to do so until their wedding on October 1, 1950. Eleanor said it was love at first sight.
Although Eleanor once said she would never marry a farmer, Lowell was indeed a farmer, and they made their home on the Leppke farm near Carrington. Eleanor embraced that life with courage and good humor, even learning how to drive truck. On October 14, 1954, they welcomed their daughter, Cynthia Marie.
The years on the farm were filled with warm memories of Sunday dinners, church activities, family life, and attending Cyndee’s high school band and choir concerts. Eleanor had the gift of making people feel welcome. Her home, her smile, and her steady presence offered comfort to those around her.
On January 15, 1972, Lowell tragically died in a farm accident at the age of 42. In the deep grief that followed, Eleanor continued to trust the Lord. After Lowell’s death, she moved back to Grand Forks to be near her mother, sister, aunts, uncles, and cousins. In that move, as in so many moments of her life, the Lord provided family, work, church, and a way forward. Eleanor took a job at First National Bank and began a new chapter with the same faith and perseverance that had carried her before.
In 1986, Eleanor moved to Fountain Hills, AZ, to be near Cyndee and her family and to spend time with her precious grandson, Joshua. Those years were another answered prayer, giving her the blessing of closeness with family and cherished time as a grandmother. She held various jobs in Fountain Hills until returning to Grand Forks in 1991, after Cyndee and her family bought and moved to a ranch in Montana.
Back in Grand Forks, Eleanor served as church secretary for Grace Baptist Church for nine years and as breakfast hostess at Fairfield Inn for sixteen years, finally retiring at the age of 88. Eleanor said she enjoyed every job she had.
Eleanor was active in church throughout her life, serving as a Sunday school teacher, janitor, wedding coordinator, and participating in Dorcas women’s group, Women’s Missionary Fellowship, Vacation Bible School, and Bible studies. Grace Baptist Church was not simply where Eleanor attended; it was part of who she was.
Eleanor also enjoyed the simple blessings of life. She loved going to UND basketball games with her friend Myrna, baking, cooking, entertaining guests, and spending time with Cyndee and her family. One of her greatest joys was the birth of her great-granddaughters, Natasha, Natalya, Ariella, and Aurora Axt, and the time she was able to spend with them.
Eleanor will be remembered for her love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the way she shared her faith and trust in Him whenever she could. She often spoke of how the Lord had answered so many prayers throughout her life. She was gentle, kind, faithful, and encouraging. Eleanor always had a smile, and she showed warmth to everyone she met. Her life leaves a legacy of faith, hospitality, perseverance, and love.
Eleanor is survived by her daughter, Cynthia “Cyndee” Marie Leppke of Grand Forks; grandson, Joshua (Kassandra) Axt of Hatton, North Dakota; four beautiful great-granddaughters, Natasha, Natalya, Ariella, and Aurora Axt of Hatton; and sister-in-law, Dolores Leppke.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lowell, in 1972; her sister and brother-in-law, Beverly Dutt Voiss and Donald Voiss; and brother-in-law, Elton Leppke.
Red ID: FND_I_79703 Image ID: 577091 Image Notes: FND001 272211
