Eleanor A. Stout

Eleanor Anne DeGraffenreid Stout passed away October 21 following a short illness.  Born in Quincy, Kansas on May 9, 1924, she was the daughter of Tess and Edith DeGraffenreid.  She grew up on the family farm with her older brother Eric and younger brother Paul, both of whom predeceased her.

Eleanor graduated from Quincy High School, where she excelled academically and on the basketball court.  She moved to Wichita where she worked for two years before enrolling in Emporia State College and joined the Alpha Sigma Tau.  Soon thereafter, she met the love of her life Lewis A Stout of Emporia.  They married on October 12, 1946. She left college and helped Lew complete his degree while starting their family with what would be a son and four daughters.

Eleanor and Lew lived in many communities in Kansas as Lew pursued new business opportunities.  They moved with their children from Emporia to El Dorado to Whitewater to Garden City to Abilene and to Newton before they returned to retire in Emporia.  They always stressed that home was where the family was. Eleanor and Lew celebrated 54 years of happiness together until Lew died early in 2000.

An avid lifelong learner, Eleanor made sure that all her children completed their college educations and she was proud that her son chose to go to medical school. When Phil graduated, the family began to call Eleanor “ Dr. Mom”.

Eleanor created a strong and loving family.  She was proud of her son Philip and his wife Ellen Stout of Naples, Fl, her daughters Sue Anne and Randy Frost of Northampton, MA, Nancy and Charles Jeffrey of Naples, FL and Christine and Bob Arndt of Americus, KS.

Grandchildren were the highlights of her life.  She was so proud of granddaughters Erica Frost Esquivel and Alex Esquivel of Boynton Beach, FL; Emily Blanchard and David Breslin of Brooklyn, NY; Olivia Frost and Will Hudson of Rochester, NY; Sarah Stout Pappano and John Pappano, of Brooklyn, NY;  Anne Stout of Los Angeles, CA; Annabelle Arndt Armitage and Cole Armitage of Osage City, KS.  She was blessed with grandson Seth Arndt of Americus, KS.

Eleanor lived to celebrate the birth of two great grandsons – Tristan Armitage and Jack Hudson.   She will celebrate in Heaven the impending births of a great granddaughter and another great grandchild.

She was happy as mother, grammy and finally GiGi, Eleanor also was loved and will be missed by wonderful nieces, nephews and their families.

She was deeply saddened by the premature death of her daughter Theresa Stout and the tragic loss of her first grandson Beau Arndt.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service at the Patio Garden of Maplewood Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Emporia at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 26.

A memorial has been established with the Emporia Friends of the Zoo. Contributions may be sent in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, PO Box #175, Emporia, Kansas 66801

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.robertsblue.com

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