Eleanor Ann Henderson was born in 1929 in Martins Ferry, Ohio to Lewis and Marion Henderson and was the oldest of three daughters. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan, summa cum laude. The following year she attended K. Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston where she met her future husband of 53 years, Kay L. Doelling. They were married shortly before Kay enlisted in the Army’s Officer’s Training and fought in the Korean War.

After an honorable discharge, the couple relocated to Anderson, Ind. where they raised three sons. While raising her boys, Eleanor found her creative outlet in a myriad of arts and crafts. Her interests in sewing, needlepoint, candle making, and antiquing led her to participate in numerous state fair competitions. During this period, she made a fateful birthday request for an antique doll. Over the next 50 years she began a passion of all things antique dolls. Her creativity showed in not only in an in-depth knowledge of dolls, but also the meticulous restoration of distressed and damaged dolls. She would scour antique stores for fabrics and accessories that she used to recreate their original beauty.

Kay and Eleanor retired to the Tryon area in 1987 where they became involved in the local community. They were members of the Congregational Church, the Fine Arts Center, and Eleanor’s new love – The Land O’ Sky Doll Club. For several years they opened their home on Hogback Mountain during the holidays for “Doll Tours.” Tickets were sold throughout the community and the proceeds benefited their church. It became one of the local holiday highlights and kept them busy preparing and decorating almost year round. When Kay passed in 2006, Eleanor remained in the Tryon area.

Eleanor is survived by her son Michael and wife Vivian of Cary, N.C.; her son Bruce and wife Patty of Westminster, Colo.; and son Scott of Greenville, S.C.; as well as four grandchildren, Emily Doelling Kreitman of Charleston, S.C., Chase Doelling of Denver, Colo., Hillary Doelling of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Cameron Doelling of Phoenix, Ariz.; and a great-granddaughter Abigale Doelling of Denver, Colo. She was predeceased by her sister Carol Barrows and is survived by her sister Helen Lou Amos of Elyria, Ohio.

Kay and Eleanor truly appreciated the warm embrace of the Tryon/Landrum/Columbus communities. Their friendships and community spirit was rewarding and fulfilling.

Memorials may be made to Foothills Humane Society, 989 Little Mountain Road, Columbus, NC, The ASPCA, Attention Gift Processing, PO Box 96929, Washington, DC 20077-7127, or Hospice of the Carolina Foothills, 130 Forest Glen Drive, Columbus, NC 28722.

A family celebration service will be held in the Tryon area later this spring.

An online guest registry may be signed at www.mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com.

McFarland Funeral Chapel
Tryon, NC