Graveside Services for Eleanor Lee Holtz, Age 84 of Licking, Missouri will be held on Monday, August 3rd, 2026 in The Graceland Cemetery, Avoca, IL.
Arrangements under the direction of The Fox Funeral Home, Licking, Missouri
Eleanor was born in Greenwood, MS in the front bedroom of her home on Dewey Street. She was born on October 18,1941 to Alexander Kaiser Nader, who immigrated to America from the Village of Shweir in Lebanon as a teenager and Lucille Helen (Miller) Nader of Dayton Ohio. She was in a hurry to join her family so she did not wait for the doctor. Eleanor was the last of 6 kids, Robert, James, Lillian, Allan & Freida. Our mother’s name was given to her by her oldest brother Robert.
While in Highschool she agreed to go on a double date with her best friend Marilyn. Dudley was in the Navy and stationed at Millington, Tennessee with our father James Holtz. Our Father agreed to go to Greenwood and Marilyn knew Dudley and he was her date. Our father did not know who his date and thought that Marilyn was his date. He couldn’t dream that he would be so lucky to be Eleanor’s date. To his surprise Eleanor was his date, and it was love at first sight. Fast forward a few years and plenty of letters later they were married in Avoca, Iowa.
Their first home together was on Whidbey Island, Washington. Over the years they would live together in Iowa, Missouri, Massachusetts, and finally settle back in Missouri. Our father was offered a job in St. Charles, Missouri. This offer came from a doctor who worked with our father at Monsanto. This Doctor was starting up his own business called Central Microwave. He started working there in December 1979.
You could never take the farm life out of my father. They finally bought their own farm in 1983 in Raymondville, Missouri. One day Jim handed Eleanor a piece of paper with a rectangle drawn on it. Our Father told her to fill it in how she wanted. He worked 4 days a week in the St. Louis area and 3 days at the farm. They built a home, raised cattle and bailed a lot of hay. Eventually, Jim retired from work and was able to be on the farm full-time with Eleanor.
Jim and Eleanor spent 60 wonderful years together until Glioblastoma Multiforme took him from this earth. Eleanor spent the next 6 years, with the help of their son Brian, keeping the farm going and trying to fill the hole that Jim left.
Eleanor was very proud of her Lebanese heritage and enjoyed making Lebanese food taught to her by her mother. In the last few days, she talked with the doctor and nurses enthusiastically about her favorite Lebanese dishes. I am sure she is in heaven sitting down to the grandest of meals with all her family. Pass the kibbeh!
Our mom spent a week in ICU at Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri. She returned home by an ambulance and placed in Hospice Care with Three Rivers Hospice. Like in her birth she passed peacefully in her home on Monday, July 27, 2026. No doctors, just her children and her beloved dog Zoey.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband James; her parents, Lucille and Alex; brothers, Robert Nader, James Nader and Allan Nader; and sisters, Lillian Dean and Freida Ghesquiere-Nader.
Eleanor is survived by her children, Cheryl Holtz-Gorman (Chris), Donna Anthony (Walt) and Brian Holtz; Grandchildren, Christopher Anthony (Jenny), Allison Anthony & Timothy Anthony (Caitlin); great grandchildren, Raiden Batten, Alexis Anthony, Leo Anthony & Connor Anthony; great great granddaughter, Lily Anthony; and sister-in-law, Delores Nader, along with her nieces and nephews.
