Eleanor Faye Burg was born June 17, 1936 at Cedar Bluffs, Kansas to Albert Edward Burg and Bertha Emeline (Matheny) Burg.  She passed away February 3, 2021, in Loveland, Colorado.  She grew up on  farms north of Oberlin, Kansas. She attended the Lone Star country school and Oberlin Grade school.  She graduated from Oberlin High school in 1954.  In High School she was a champion Debater on the Debate Team and was in 4-H, Girl Scouts and Band.  She worked at a local café The Green Lantern where she met Larry Dean Lawton.  They were married May 19, 1954 at the Oberlin Methodist Church and moved to Des Moines, Iowa.  Larry was killed in a construction accident September 1954 in Des Moines, Iowa.  Eleanor gave birth to Lorraine Lawton the following March.

  Eleanor attended Fort Hays State College and met Richard Dean Simpson at a Methodist Church student activity. They married May 29, 1957 at the Methodist Church in Hays Kansas.  Lorraine was adopted by Richard and two more children were added to the family Teri Jean Simpson, and Gery Dean Simpson.  They lived in Wamego Kansas for several years where Eleanor did substitute teaching and received her degree from Fort Hays State and Master’s degree from K-State University in Special Education.   Eleanor’s true calling and passion was teaching children.  She worked hard and made an impact on numerous children in the schools where she taught and received many awards for excellence in her field of Special Education.  When Eleanor and Richard retired from teaching in Wamego they moved to their dream home in Estes Park, Colorado.  They were active in the Estes Park community helping with the Estes Park Museum, Estes Park Arts Council, Red Cross, and the Estes Park Methodist Church.   For many years she helped with church services and was the wedding coordinators for the Methodist Church. Eleanor loved to sew, camp, read, play pinochle, crafting and cake decorating. Eleanor and Richard moved to Laramie, Wyoming in May 2013 to be near their daughter.  They spent nearly 60 years together prior to Richard’s death in 2017. She loved her family especially their get togethers in Estes Park.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Husbands Larry Lawton and Richard Simpson, daughter-in-law Sherri Simpson, grandson, Caleb Robinson; and great-grandson Jackson Forsythe.

Eleanor is survived by sisters Elaine (Gary) Turner and Mable Ashcraft.  Daughters are Lorraine (Cal) Van Zee, Laramie, WY, Teri (Jim) Robinson, Coffeyville, KS, and son Gery Simpson Cheyenne, formerly Laramie, WY.  Eleanor has seven grandchildren Abby (Brian) Howe, Sara (Joshua) Forsythe, Renee (Lee) Tahja, Luke (Christine) Robinson, Ben (Christoi) Robinson, Lucinda Van Zee, and Mandy Mahoney.  She was blessed with 14 great grandchildren and one due in August.

A celebration of Eleanor’s life will be held at a graveside ceremony in the summer of 2021 in Oberlin, Kansas. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.Alz.org/CO.  Cards may be sent to the family c/o Montgomery-Stryker Funeral Home, 2133 Rainbow Ave Laramie, WY 82070.