Eileen Carleton

Eileen Louise Menze Carleton, 91, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away October 28, 2013, at Mercy Hospice in Johnston, Iowa.

She was born October 6, 1922, near Gresham, Nebraska, the eldest child of Bertha (Mailand) and Frederick Menze. She attended rural schools near Gresham and graduated from Seward High School in Seward, Nebraska, in 1940. After high school she moved to Los Angeles, California, and worked for Lockheed Aircraft. On December 9, 1943, she was united in marriage to Tom C. Carleton in Topeka, Kansas. To this union two sons, Terry and Tom, were born.

Eileen was an excellent cook and baker. She loved to garden, bowl and golf. She loved and enjoyed her family and her friends.

Eileen and Tom were snow birds and wintered in Mesa, Arizona, for almost 20 years. She was a member of First United Methodist Church, B.P.O. Does, Cass County Hospital Auxiliary, and Atlantic Golf and Country Club where she had a hole-in-one.

Survivors include sons, Terry (Linda) Carleton of Cedar Rapids and Tom (Elizabeth) Carleton of Ankeny; five grandchildren, Kerry (fiancé Megan Oesting) Carleton of Coralville, Cadie (Matthew) Waddell of Urbana, Justin (Denise) Carleton of Ankeny, Jennifer (Chris) Koester of Rogers, Arkansas, and Jordan (Jayme) Carleton of Warrenton, Virginia; ten great-grandchildren, Alexis, Sydney and Jadyn Waddell of Urbana, Stephanie and Christian Carleton of Coralville, Madison and Spencer Carleton of Ankeny, Thomas and Fern Carleton of Virginia, and Olivia Koester of Arkansas; and four step-great-grandchildren, Mia and Diggory Dillingham of Coralville, and Mattison and Daxton Koester of Arkansas.


She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 60 years, Tom; parents; brothers, Wilbur, Dale and Wayne Menze; and sister, Eunice Neujahr.

Visitation will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, October 31, 2013, at the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic with burial in the Atlantic Cemetery.

Memorials and donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church and Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund, both in Atlantic, Iowa.