Eleanor "Ellie" Dembny

DEMBNY, Eleanor "Ellie" - age 82 of Fenton, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at Ascension Genesys Medical Center. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 AM Monday, April 22, 2024, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 600 N. Adelaide St., Fenton, MI 48430 with Fr. David Harvey celebrant. Interment will follow at St. John Cemetery, Fenton. Visitation will be held 2-6 PM Sunday at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 W. Silver Lake Rd., Fenton, MI 48430 where a rosary will be prayed at 6 PM. Visitation will also be held 10 AM - 11 AM Monday at the church. Eleanor was born December 23, 1941, in Posen, MI, the daughter of Louis and Sophie (Pilarski) Kroll. Ellie and her siblings were raised on their parents' potato farm in Posen, MI. This is where they learned the value of hard work. She recently told the story of picking strawberries and raspberries for a wage of .15 cents a quart in order to earn money for school clothes. Eleanor was a graduate of Posen High School Class of 1960. She married James Dembny on November 9, 1963. Eleanor and Jim resided in Rogers City, MI until 1966. They moved to Flint and ultimately to Fenton since 1976. Eleanor was employed at Meijer as a cashier, retiring in 2004. She had worked at the Meijer on Pierson Road in Flint, Hill Road in Mundy Twp and at the Howell Store. She was an active member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Council of Catholic Women, the Red Hat Society, and the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, Past President. Surviving are: husband of 60 years, James Dembny; children, Karen (Tim) O'Brien, Myron (Lynn) Dembny, and Melissa (Jason) LaCelle; grandchildren, Hannah Dembny, Robert Boyd, Abigail Dembny, Zosha LaCelle, and Vincent LaCelle; sister, Sally (Don) Kuznicki; sister-in-law, Gertie Kroll. Eleanor loved her family above all else. She was devoted to her children, grandchildren and grand dogs. She had the wonderful ability to make everyone she met feel loved. Eleanor was a devout Catholic and believed in the power of prayer. She would say a rosary everyday with the intentions for family and friends. She and Jim enjoyed camping and traveling throughout the country. She just returned from a month-long vacation in Florida where she sat by the pool every day and soaked up the sun. She was a terrific cook and loved to feed family and friends. Her specialties included sausage, sauerkraut and polish cabbage rolls (Gołąbki). She enjoyed volunteering at St. John Church, especially baking treats for church functions and helping at bingo. Eleanor loved to garden and over the years canned many jars of fruits and vegetables. Her strawberry freezer jam was a family favorite. She was a wonderful euchre player and had a competitive nature playing card games. She especially loved to read mystery novels and mastered her Kindle this past year. She was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Sophie Kroll, brother, Harry Kroll and sister, Blanche Konieczny. Eleanor's family would like to express their gratitude towards the Emergency Department staff at Genesys Regional Medical Center for their compassionate care. A special thank you to Dr. James Walker and staff, Dr. Ramon Raneses and Dr. Genevieve Sierminski for their medical care and expertise as Eleanor faced her serious health issues in recent years. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to Knights of Columbus Council #7418 Women's Auxiliary. Tributes may be shared at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com