Eleanor Martha Buller

Eleanor Martha (nee Gilbertson) Buller, of Crystal Lake, IL, born June 20, 1938, passed away September 6, 2026 after a very long, gentle journey with Alzheimer's.

She was born to Victor Gilbert Gilbertson and Martha Mohn Nelson Gilbertson of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. As the youngest, her family of six included beloved older siblings Dorothy, Richard, and Annette. Father Victor was a lawyer and hobbyist painter and fisherman. Among his many civic roles, Victor served as the chairman of the Eau Claire Progressive Party and as an acting Eau Claire County judge, ruling on crimes involving deer hunting and dog bites. To young Ellie’s delight, on the weekends, he would drive the family out to the scenic country of Chippewa Falls, WI for his plein air painting sessions, setting up his easel and paints as the family ate packed lunches. Her mother, Martha, was a homemaker. After trying out teaching the farm boys of Red Wing, Minnesota, Ellie reported that Martha was a bit intimidated by the very tall young teenage boys and ultimately decided teaching was not for her. Martha is rumored to have at one point said “We are not Norwegian - we are American” - which very much suggests the family was Norwegian - and indeed the family had 100% Norwegian ancestry on both sides.

Ellie was a diligent student and played bass clarinet in the high school marching band. She did recall a “wild time” when she and some fellow high school students went rogue and chartered a bus to take them across state lines to Minnesota for a St. Olaf choir concert.

Ellie attended St Olaf College, Northfield, MN for the 1956-1957 school year, then transferred to Minneapolis General Hospital School of Nursing. Around 1960, she left for Colorado and spent a good chunk of her twenties skiing (Loveland Pass), tooling around the mountains in her VW bug, and working with children with disabilities in mountainous or country camps such as Camp Easterseals in Colorado and Camp Courage in Minnesota. During time in Colorado, she met a young Mennonite geologist from Kansas named Bill. She married Bill Buller in January of 1966 at St Paul's Lutheran Church in Denver, CO. She ultimately graduated from University of Colorado - Boulder in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Bill’s career then took the growing family to Little Rock, Arkansas; the Finger Lakes of New York; Tulsa, Oklahoma and to the suburbs of Chicago. During her time as a stay at home mom in the 1980s, she crafted beautiful clothing and wall hangings for her children, stitched basket liners for Longaberger baskets, sold Avon and Bee-line catalog clothing. She had boundless energy and was in constant motion. Returning to nursing work after the kids got a little older, Ellie worked in hospitals, nursing homes, private nursing and schools. She retired as a school nurse from Harvard School District in 2001.

Ellie was an active member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, helping to create a prayer shawl knitting group, volunteering in the homeless shelter at the church, and helping to bring Sunday services to Crystal Pines Nursing Home.

Ellie enjoyed classical music, reading about Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian explorer, as well as all things medical. She also very much enjoyed gardening and home-keeping. She loved caring for all children and cherished spending time caring for her grand-daughter Cassandra. While healthy and still able, she ensured a full Norwegian holiday dinner each Christmas Eve - with sandbakkels, lefse (a potato flatbread), “fruit suppe,” and Swedish (!) meatballs.

She is survived by her children Jennifer, Kara and Matt; her granddaughter, Cassandra and great-granddaughter Nayeli; her sister-in-law Barb; and many dear nieces and nephews and friends from church and school and beyond. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; her dear husband, Bill; her siblings and we believe all cousins. 

We will miss her gentle touch and child-like wonder and smile.

Visitation will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL on Sunday, September 20, at 1pm, followed by the funeral service there at 2pm. A luncheon will then be provided in the Fellowship Hall.

Memorial contributions may be made to Lutheran World Relief (Baltimore, MD) in honor of her spirit of service and commitment to health for all. Donations can also be made to Alzheimer’s Association (Chicago, IL).