Eleanor Ann Vandergriff

In Des Moines, on July 13, 2026, Eleanor Ann Vandergriff died at 80. Born in Des Moines on October 20, 1945; Japanese-American cooking and payday thrift set the tone of the house. She grew up believing that showing up was the first craft. She pulled parts until gauges agreed and pride could return. A salvage parts bin label set rebuilt more trust than lawyers. Colleagues still mention a salvage parts bin label set. She married Arthur in 1970. They kept a house that stayed modest when the neighborhood did not. They raised a daughter and two sons through public schools and ordinary weather. After Arthur died in 2019, she kept the routines that still made sense: the walk, the garden, the Sunday call. Neighbors remember the radio low on a Saturday while repairs got done. Mornings were her favorite shift at home. She died in Des Moines, on streets that already knew her pace. The tools are still hung where a hand can find them in the dark.