Eleanor Marchtmon died recently, and I will miss her as a friend, and our whole Rehoboth Beach/Lewes community will miss her as a community leader. I can only tell of the ways that I knew her and worked with her.
She was born in Wilson, N.C., and came to live in the West Rehoboth community. There she worked on the board of the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust, later becoming its chairman. We both volunteered with the afterschool program at the community center and helped the children make tiles for two signs that welcome folks to the historic community. We tried, with help from other volunteers, to start a community garden. She later worked with another resident to make a beautiful garden that is still being used beside her trailer.
One of the greatest things Eleanor did was to organize a peace march from West Rehoboth to Burton Village because her son was murdered in a fight between the two communities. Many people participated in this peacemaking vigil and prayer service. She demonstrated courage and forgiveness which promoted healing.
She became the telephone contact and receptionist, the first and therefore the most important person at Community Resource Center. There she helped persons caught in hard times to find resources that we the volunteers could offer. She basically held us all together through various transitions. She used her Stephen Ministry skills in relating to all.
And she was a straight-talking friend who could laugh and cry with you. She would sometimes dye her hair purple or green for fun. We will all miss her.
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