Elinor Dorene Dagestad went to be with the Lord Monday, February 26, 2018, at the age of 78. Memorial services will be 11:00 AM Friday, March 2, 2018 at First United Methodist Church, 1202 South 3rd Street in Merkel.

Elinor was born November 4, 1939 in Mankato, MN, to Delmar Cecil and Alice Mae (Mayne) Anderson. She graduated from Grant High school in 1957. She married Ingvald Dagestad on February 18, 1964 at the Little Brown Church in Nausa, IA. She and Ingvald later made their home in Texas, where she worked as a nurse’s aid at Hendrick Medical Center. She earned an Associate Degree in Information Technology from Texas State Technical College, and was instrumental in setting up the call center at Abilene Christian University.

She was a charter member of the Merkel Historical Society and a chapter of the Red Hat Society known as the “Shady Ladies” in Donna, Texas. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Merkel. Elinor was also a member of the 1957 Iowa State Champion Basketball Team. Other interests included NASCAR, especially Dale Earnhart, Football (Dallas Cowboys), animals and knitting.

Survivors include her local family, daughter Brenda Dagestad and her children Kevin and Chasity Dagestad and Kandice Mallard; and great-grandchildren Ophelia and Kevin Dagestad, Jr., all of Merkel.

Elinor is also survived by five step-children, Tim and LaWanna Sobe, Clair and Jo Dagestad, Dennis and Sharon Dagestad, Dean Dagestad and Steve and Susan Bottleson; a sister Rebekka and Terry Brekke of Waterloo, IA; 19 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ingvald and Baby Gilbert.

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