Eleanor F. Dexter

Eleanor F. Dexter, 97, died March 5, 2020 at Brookdale Senior Living in Salina, KS. Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 11 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 12, at the First Baptist Church in Marysville. Rev. Andrew Lucas will officiate. Marge Volesky will play the organ while Pam Harrison sings “How Great Thou Art”, “Hymn of Promise” and “God Be with You”. The pallbearers will be Jim Dexter, Alfred Lee, Bill Schafer, Dean Dexter, Donald Dexter and Dennis Kracht. Burial will in the Marshall Center Cemetery south of Home, KS. On April 2, 1922, Eleanor was born at Irvington, NJ, to John R. and Florence M. (Wilson) Guenther. In 1940, she graduated from Millburn High School in Millburn, NJ. She was very athletic in school and played high school soccer in junior high, as a right wing. She attended business school in Newark, NJ. In 1944, she entered the Marines and served as a Corporal, stationed in San Francisco, CA. On October 13, 1946, she was united in marriage to Rev. Arwayne A. Dexter at Millburn, NJ. They were blessed with three daughters, Lynne, Karen and Carol. The family moved to Kansas in 1983 and lived on a farm south of Home. Eleanor was a loving homemaker, mother and wife, that always was proud of her family. She was active in her church, in all activities and was a willing leader as well as an organizer. Eleanor’s strong religious convictions from a young age, gave her the ability to lead in assisting people in need. The family always made it a point to all be home for the Christmas Holiday, to share that special event, regardless how far away they lived. Eleanor led an exercise program at a nursing home. She enjoyed quilting, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, as well as being an accomplished seamstress. She liked traveling and working with Arwayne in the church. Preceding her in death were her parents, John and Florence Guenther; husband, Arwayne in 2003; brother, John Guenther; and sisters, Lurlie Zappo, Ethel Lempke and Lillian Schafer. Survivors include her daughters, Lynne Dexter (Charles Sinkie), Home, Karen Kraemer (David), Salina, Carol Straub (Kevin), Sedgwick; sister, Muriel Ashton; and grandchildren, Kristin Kraemer (Steve Halouska), Salina and John Kraemer (Victoria Thomas), Washington, DC; and nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. The family welcomes donations to a charity of your choice in Eleanor’s name, as an expression of sympathy instead of flowers. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Eleanor F. Dexter, please visit our flower store.