TIMKEN — Eldora C. Conard, 88, died May 15 at the Rush county Memorial Hospital in LaCrosse. Born March 14, 1923 in rural Rush Center, she was the daughter of Charles L. and Mary C. (Johnson) Bortz. In 1940, she graduated from LaCrosse High School. She attended Fort Hays Kansas State College in Hays and received her Teaching Certificate in 1941. On Nov. 6, 1946, she married Wayne T. Conard in rural Rush County. He died on Jan. 25, 2004. A lifelong resident of Rush County, she was a homemaker. From 1942 to 1946, she taught school at Grandview, Chilly Knob and Hopewell Country Schools, all in Rush County.

Mrs. Conard was a member of WSCS-Pleasant Hill Methodist Church in Ash Valley, Coterie Club in Timken, Gay Gingham EHU in Rush Center and Timken, 4-H member, community leader and county-wide knitting leader and Executive Extension Board, all in Rush County, Order of Eastern Star and charter member/Walnut Valley Senior Center in Rush Center, SWKAA Board in Dodge City, ElderCare, Inc. Board in Great Bend, Rush County Area on Aging Board, and the United Methodist Church in LaCrosse.

Survivors include two sons, Terry W. Conard of Timken and Dale E. Conard of Nickerson; a daughter, Christie Bittel of LaCrosse; nine grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne T. Conard; a sister, Marilyn Maresch; and her parents.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at the United Methodist Church in LaCrosse with the Rev. Diana Hill and the Rev. Mark Conard officiating. Burial will be at the LaCrosse Cemetery. Friends may visit from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home, with family receiving friends from 6 to 7 p.m. and from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. on Thursday at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Walnut Valley Senior Center in Rush Center.