Eleanor "Ellen" Elizabeth Barnhill

Eleanor (Ellen) Elizabeth Barnhill (Weisenburger) passed away peacefully with her husband by her side on May 26, 2025, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, due to complications from post-polio syndrome.

Ellen was born April 25, 1948 in Bellingham, WA to Harold and Phyllis Ann (Jenkins) Weisenburger. She grew up in the Birchwood neighborhood surrounded by family and friends. At age 5 Ellen was diagnosed with polio, and with her parents made many trips to Seattle for medical treatment over the ensuing years. Ellen graduated from Bellingham High School in 1966. Upon graduation Ellen entered the University of Washington where she met her lifelong best friend, Gail Longhi. Ellen graduated with a BA in political science in 1970. While visiting her family in Bellingham during college, Ellen was introduced to her future husband. Ellen and Verne were married in a civil ceremony on April 18, 1970. After living in Germany while Verne was in the Army, they returned to Bellingham where Ellen worked in the Bellingham Library as the children’s librarian, while Verne completed his degree at Western.

Ellen entered the maritime shipping business at the Seattle office of Williams Dimond & Co., later joining Inchcape Shipping Services as a customer service manager. After 9-11 Ellen spent many long days and nights re-registering shipping lines with US Customs and Border Protection and helping shore-side offices and captains at sea comply with the new requirements. Ellen retired having made lifelong friends with many of her colleagues. Ellen was well respected and knew shipping captains and crew from all over the world, and loved to tell stories about the maritime industry. Ellen was active in politics, serving as Chair of the 11th District Democrats in the 1980’s, and campaigning for candidates who shared her values of decency and compassion.

Ellen loved families and she loved history. Ellen and Verne enjoyed traveling, taking memorable trips to Europe, Australia, and around the US. Often these trips coincided with family history research. Ellen joined the Germans from Russia Historical Society in 1995 and served as coordinator for villages in the Odessa Parish of what is now Ukraine. She spent uncounted hours helping newer members find their families’ records, and to learn about the times in which their ancestors lived. Each Memorial Day, Ellen and her family traveled to Bellingham to decorate and honor the graves of relatives. This tradition served as a reminder of who these individuals were, Ellen's memories of them, and how they contributed to the family's heritage. Never having had children of her own, Ellen lived for her nieces and nephews and later grand nieces, nephews, and young cousins and spoiled us all with her love and support. She was incredibly proud of all her family and would tell each of us stories about what the rest of us were up to. We felt kinship with each other with Ellen as our nexus.

Ellen will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. With the physical challenges in her life, a lesser personality would have given up, but she was fearless, meeting circumstances as they came, and never failing in her efforts until she could go no more. To those who knew her, please take a moment to remember all the energy and knowledge and joy she spread to her friends.

Ellen was preceded in death by her father and mother, Harold and Phyllis Weisenburger, and her brother Kenneth Weisenburger, all of Bellingham. She is survived by her husband, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Ellen will be buried privately at Woodlawn Cemetery in Ferndale, Washington.