Eleanor "Pious" Rose Backus Obituary (1918

Eleanor "Pious" Rose Backus passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 20th, a month before her 105th birthday. Born to Frank and Frances (Tomporowski) Niedjelski, Pious was one of five children, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Growing up in Minneapolis on the Mississippi River, she met and married Joseph Backus in 1936 and they were married 63 happy years. They moved to Seattle with two children for job opportunities after WWII. Two more children were born in Seattle. Pious was a very creative person, sewing all her own clothes and those of her daughters. She was a world class knitter, crossword puzzle solver, voracious reader, and a student of her Polish heritage before the age of computers. She and Joe loved to travel, mostly around the US, and cruises and trips abroad. Pious was preceded in death by her husband, Joe; three sisters; one brother; daughter, Alexandra; son, Bruce; and granddaughter, Karen. Her surviving family include daughter, Jody Allamano (Mark); son, Robert Backus (Linda); grandchildren, Stephanie Kilburg, Kari Rowden, Joe Backus, and Alex Allamano; great-grandchildren, Kaytlynn and Belle; and great-great granddaughter, Tallulah Rose. Interment was held at Holyrood Cemetery in Shoreline. Arrangements were entrusted to The Stone Chapel Poulsbo Mortuary.