Eloise Joann Estes

Eloise Joann (Leffler) Estes, 84, of Yampa, Colorado passed away on January 27, 2026, at

Sandrock Nursing Home. She is survived by her brother-in-law Walter Estes (Linda), 3 children

Brenda Little, Karen Kowach (Rod), and Rodney Estes (Tammy), 8 grandchildren Casey, Holly,

Alex, Nick, Josh, Frankie, Ricky, and Mariah, and 12 great grandchildren Gracie, Zach, Serina,

Johnny, Landon, Shaylee, Lane, Laynee, Kyla, Bradley, Aubrey, and Thomas. She was

preceded in death by her loving husband Tom, her parents, her brothers Roger and Samuel

Leffler, a grandson John Little, and a great grandson Andrew Estes.

Eloise was born on October 1, 1941, to George Washington Leffler and Grace Caroline Goode

Leffler at home near Blakesburg, Iowa. Eloise graduated from Blakesburg High where she met

and married Andrew Thomas Estes Jr. on June 5, 1960.They were married for 61 years.

Tom and Eloise raised their 3 children on a dairy farm in Iowa. Eloise was the ultimate

homemaker and she spent her life making a home. Although Eloise never drove, she always

made sure we got to church, youth group, and bible school. Eloise was definitely in charge of

the farmhouse in Iowa. She made sure everyone always had 3 meals a day and would spend

hours getting her noon meal ready for Tom and his hired hands. No one went hungry. She

made sure chores like feeding the chickens and gathering eggs, bottle feeding the calves,

washing the milkers and baulk tank, feeding steers and pigs, and of course feeding the dairy

cows were doled out to her children and visiting children. Then, she always had canning or

butchering days organized and directed.

In 1984 Tom and Eloise decided to sell their dairy farm and move to Yampa, Colorado. Within

the next few years her kids moved to Colorado to be closer to their parents. They loved having

as many family and friends in their home as they could. After moving to Colorado Tom and

Eloise opened a feed store called Circle E Ranch supply. Managing Circle E Ranch supply was

the only job that Eloise had outside of her home. Other than taking care of her home she spent

a lot of her time taking care of her grandchildren which she loved and adored, always making

them feel safe, special, and she enjoyed teaching them many things including how to cook

homemade meals.

Regardless of living in Iowa or Colorado Eloise turned her house into a home with continuing to

carry on her legacy of a homemaker. She continued to pass on her passion of caring for her

home and family onto her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Many who still to

this day carry on these traditions and values learned with their own families.

Eloise and Tom were always front and center to all sporting events for their children and

grandchildren. Eloise really enjoyed the time she and Tom spent traveling to Arizona, Texas,

and Wyoming to visit their grandchildren and their families.

Tom and Eloise built a beautiful family and they both set a standard that we all choose to live by

because we all appreciated their family values and wanted to make them both proud. Eloise will

be deeply missed by everyone and we all look forward to seeing them again some day.

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