Eleanor Rain Milner

Eleanor Rain Milner, 94, died on March 2, 2014 in Winston-Salem, NC. She was a resident of Brookridge Retirement Community. Mrs. Milner was born on November 9, 1919 in Wood River, IL to Mary Ann Tisius Rain and John Clifford Rain. She was educated as a registered nurse and trained at City Hospital in St. Louis, MO. She relished the nursing profession and always thought of herself as a nurse in the present as well as in the past. On March 17, 1950 she married Robert Carl Milner. He was a pharmacist/owner of Milner Rexall Drugs in Carrollton, IL, where Eleanor worked long hours, in addition to rearing three children and volunteering with the PTA and her church. She was a member of Carrollton United Methodist Church and joined Maple Springs United Methodist Church when she moved to Winston-Salem in 2007. Her great joy was reading and she once referred to hell as ""a place without books"".
Mrs. Milner was predeceased by her husband, daughter Carol Ann Milner, grandson Daniel Whanger, and nephew Richard Chappell. She is survived by her sister Mary Catherine Chappell of Jerseyville, IL, and nephew James Chappell of Mesa, AZ. She is also survived by a daughter Eleanor Victoria Wilson Strandhoy and husband Dr. Jack Strandhoy of Winston-Salem and a son, Robert Joseph Milner and wife Candice Milner of Sedalia, MO, grandchildren Dr. Suzanne Vining and husband Dr. Neil Vining of Raleigh, NC, Laura Amin and husband Raj Amin of Brooklyn, NY , and Beth Lyles and husband Ben Lyles of Sedalia, MO and Rachel Whanger of Lee's Summit, MO and great-grandchildren Eric, Alexander and Devyn Vining, Anya and Zoe Amin, Chase, Trenton, Isabelle, Addison, and Maxwell Lyles and Makhi Jaff.
The family wishes to especially thank the loving care over the past several years provided by Cathie Guarantano, Lorinda Carroway and Janice Glenn.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 3:00pm in the Feezor Auditorium of Brookridge Retirement Community, 1199 Hayes Forest Drive in Winston-Salem. Interment will be in Carrollton, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the Maple Springs UMC Food Bank or the Brookridge Retirement Community Benevolent Fund.