Eleanor Louise Hockin Nystrom, 90, of Indiana, died Wednesday, August 16, 2017 while at St. Andrew’s Village after several years enduring the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Ellie was born September 8, 1926 in Kramer, the daughter of Percival S. and Adah D. Bassett Hockin. She grew up in Kramer and Punxsutawney, graduating from Punxsutawney High School in 1944.
She married F.J. William Nystrom on December 21, 1947 and they remained together for 39 years until his death in 1996. Ellie was also proceeded in death by her parents; two brothers, Percival S. Hockin, Jr. of East St. Louis, IL and James Hockin of Indiana; as well as two sisters, Jean Hockin Segner of Chesapeake, VA and Lucille Hockin Belin of Punxsutawney.
Ellie is survived by one brother, Kenneth Hockin, Winchester, VA and a sister, J. Suzanne Hockin Pierce, Ann Arbor, MI; as well as numerous nieces and nephews around the country.
Following her dental hygiene training at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Oral Hygiene, Ellie spent 17 years as a school dental hygienist in the Indiana Public Schools. When her husband accepted a job with Pennsylvania State University in 1963, Ellie assumed a position with the Mifflin County School District and moved with her husband to State College. She remained with the Mifflin County Schools for 18 years, retiring in 1981 after 35 years of service as a Pennsylvania school dental hygienist. Readers who attended school in Indiana and Mifflin Counties during those 35 years may remember her puppet “Sunshine, the Good Tooth Bear” which she used to help teach children about good dental hygiene.
While working as a dental hygienist, Ellie also earned a B.S. in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and attended graduate school at Pennsylvania State University. She was a very active member and leader in Pennsylvania dental hygienist organizations during her career. She had several articles and pamphlets on dental hygiene published, including one in the Pennsylvania State Dental Journal. She also found her work with mentally challenged children in Mifflin County very fulfilling.
Ellie enjoyed gardening, collecting antiques, puppetry, acting, singing, dancing and writing poetry. She had an infectious sense of humor and enjoyed telling jokes and visiting with family and friends, always welcoming them into her home with a smile.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the John A. Lefdahl Funeral Home in Indiana. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Morningside Cemetery in DuBois with Pastor Kathy Mihoerck, officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Presbyterian Senior Living, One Trinity Drive East, Suite 201, Dillsburg, PA 17019 (www.presbyterianseniorliving.org) or the Alzheimer Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 (www.alz.org)
