Eleanor A. Sevick

Eleanor A. Sevick, 92, of Mason City, IA, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 18, 2015, at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 4th Street S.E., with Pastor Jeni Bohls officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will take place in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Dows, IA at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Eleanor Sevick memorial fund in care of the family.

Eleanor Adeline Tillman was born November 5, 1922, in Dows, IA, to Ray and Vera (Mecham) Tillman. She grew up on a farm in Dows. Eleanor graduated from Dows High School in 1938 and continued her education at the Iowa Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. Upon graduating, she began her nursing career. On October 6, 1949, she married Glenn Coridon Sevick in Des Moines, IA. In 1956, they had a daughter: Janis Maureen Sevick. The family moved to Mason City in 1959. Over her lifetime, she enjoyed different aspects of nursing. She often commented later in life that the most gratifying and enriching was her position as Lab Instructor for NIACC’s School of Nursing in Mason City. She admired her colleagues and loved teaching the students. Many nursing graduates even today remember her and reflect on how competent yet fun and engaging she was while teaching “hands on” nursing skills. She also worked as an Inservice Director and then Director of Nurses for a nursing home run by her daughter until she retired at the age of 69. Eleanor had many interests outside of nursing including gardening and coin collecting, spelunking, rock, fossil and shell collecting with her daughter, bookkeeping and racing companion for her husband, and most notable, participating in the American Legion Auxiliary. She was an active member of the Legion for 26 years and held many different offices during that time. Eleanor was also a Girl Scout Leader for several years and a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church where she was involved in the Ladies Church Circle. She became a member of St. James Lutheran Church when the family moved across town.

She was a strong, compassionate and diverse woman. The Tillman’s had a family saying, “You do it whether you can do it or not”. She embraced and demonstrated this tireless, can do attitude every day of her life. She was truly an inspiration to all whom she touched: family, friends, students and colleagues.

Eleanor is survived by her daughter: Janis M. Sevick and husband Timothy J.Carlson of Mason City; 4 sisters: Naomi Maxheimer of Clarion, IA, Phyllis Brinkman of Gilmore City, IA, Virginia Larsson of Mazeppa, MN, Bonnie Foust and husband Robert of Spencer, IA; and 1 brother: Burgess Tillman and wife Dora of Sacramento, CA. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sister; Selma Sue, her parents; her husband in 1994; and 2 brothers: Corbin Tillman and Myron “Bud” Tillman.