Eleanor Mille

Eleanor Thurston Morgan O’Rourke Mille 93, of El Paso Arkansas went to be with the Lord, November 9, 2025. She was born on August 27, 1932, in Miami, Florida to the late Thurston Morgan and Eleanor Francis Morgan. 

Eleanor was the first child of Eleanor Francis Morgan and the only child of Thurston Morgan, Thurston passing away prior to Eleanor’s birth. Eleanor Francis along with the help of her mother worked and raised Eleanor Thurston, remarrying five years later to William O’Rourke. Eleanor Francis and William had two sons bringing their new family to five. Eleanor Thurston enjoyed growing up in Miami, Florida with her brother William Jr. and Walter O’Rourke. Eleanor enjoyed time with family, friends and golfing.

One day while practicing her swing she sent a ball to the backside of one of the employees at the golf course. This employee being one Alexander Wesley Mille, who would become Eleanor’s husband of 69 years. Together Alex and Eleanor moved from Florida to Illinois to Arkansas while Alex completed his education and training to become a Federal Mediator of the United States Government. He chose to take the region of northwest Arkansas after a visit to the state many years earlier. Eleanor, Alex and their four children settled into life in a new state. Eleanor stayed home and raised the children and kept the house, becoming very active at Grace Presbyterian Church and volunteering at Presbyterian Village, a retirement establishment for the elderly. After the four children got older, Eleanor decided to attend college to get a degree. Along with a surprise to the family (baby number five), Eleanor graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a master’s in social work. Beginning her career as a social worker brought her in contact with Sharon Pallone. Sharon Pallone, Eleanor, and then Governor’s wife, Hillary Clinton worked together starting a non-profit organization to help assist both parents and children of abusive situations. The non-profit called S.C.A.N., Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect, began in 1970, provided classes, training, child placement and other services to help stop the cycle of abuse within families. Eleanor found her work home, she dedicated her life to helping children, bringing children home if a placement was not available, teaching classes to parents to help them learn other ways to interact and discipline their children. For 23 years Eleanor worked at SCAN, retiring as Director of SCAN in December 1993.

After taking care of children at SCAN, Eleanor and Alex settled on their farm in El Paso, Arkansas. While Alex tinkered around the farm, Eleanor found a new church in Bebee, visiting family and friends, driving between their winter home in Arkansas and their summer home in Maine, completing many crossword puzzles, and enjoying visits from her children and grandchildren. Eleanor was a devoted mother, grand and great grandmother, an avid reader, and a wonderful and fiercely loyal friend

Eleanor leaves behind to cherish her memory her brother Walter O’Rourke of Bebee, Arkansas, sister-in-law Thelma Irene Hanson and her late husband Howard of Enfield, Connecticut; daughter Donna Mille Williams and husband Whit of Oakland, Tennessee; son David Alexander Mille of El Paso, Arkansas; daughter Carol Elaine Mahan of El Paso, Arkansas; daughter Sallie Ann Pursell and husband Bruce of Beebe, Arkansas; daughter Karen Elizabeth Mille of Little Rock, Arkansas. Her loving grandchildren include; Elise Addington Dugger, husband Nate, and great granddaughter Joy Marie of Nashville, Tennessee; grandson Milton Alexander Addington, M.D. and Amanda Addington, M.D. of Memphis Tennessee; granddaughter Alycia Anne Bradley and great grandchildren Gavin and Hadley Pratt, and Paul Alexander Russell of Conway, Arkansas; granddaughter Kara Leigh West and husband Hunter of Nashville, Tennessee; grandson Ryan Lewis Mahan, wife Mandy and great grandson Sigurd Lewis Mahan of D’iberville, Mississippi; grandson William Brandon Pursell, wife Sheri and great grandson William Brayson of Beebe, Arkansas; granddaughter Ashley Elizabeth Pursell of Little Rock, Arkansas; grandson Matthew Morgan Pursell and wife Natalie Pursell of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and grandsons Henry Maximillian and Liam Charles Japeth Johnson of Little Rock, Arkansas. Honorary children include Lisa Swan and Suzanne Dobbins. She is also survived by many other loving cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who will miss her always, and a very special friend and care giver, Mary Pearson

A celebration of Eleanor’s life will be held at the Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe, Arkansas on December 12, 2025, at 2pm (visitation) and 3pm (service). In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be sent to the First Presbyterian Church; P.O. Box 277, Beebe, Arkansas 72012. Online guestbook at www.smithfamilycares.com.