Elinor Aye, 82, of Mount Gretna, died peacefully in the home of her daughters, Claudia and Paulette.

Born Oct. 2, 1940, in Allentown, she was the daughter of the late Thomas G. Ressler and Adah C. (Patterson) Ressler Kelly.

She was a graduate of Allentown High School and Catawba College, where she studied history and Spanish.

She also attended Kansas State University, where she met her husband, the late James M. Aye, and spent her early career teaching high school history and Spanish in Collinsville, Ill.

She changed professions and spent a brief period working for the U.S. Coast Guard and the last 25 years of her career as an archivist for the National Archives and Records Administration, in both St. Louis, Mo. and then in the Philadelphia, until her retirement in 2001.

She spent her retirement in Allentown and then in Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. participating with the choir and poetry club and volunteering to organize the library and choir materials.

An avid reader and historian, she traced her family history in America to pre-Revolutionary times and organized family reunions.

In her travels, she oriented trips around historically significant sites to trace locations of historical events.

She greatly valued her education at Catawba and tirelessly encouraged her children and grandchildren to be excellent students.

Her survivors include children Jennifer J. Killian (Huston, III) of Marysville, Peter N. Aye of Tucson, Ariz., Claudia C. Aye (J. Refugio Garcia-Cruz) of Mount Gretna, and Paulette M. Aye (Richard Thorne) of Mount Gretna; daughter-in-law Shafron (Nicholson) Aye; sisters Mary Ann Roeder of Slatington and Carolyn M. Goepfert of Southampton, Mass.,; grandchildren Gabrielle M. Killian, Salvador D. Garcia, Caroline C. Killian, Brianna C. Aye, Liliana R. Garcia, Madison E. Aye, Isabel L. Garcia and Huston B. Killian IV.

She was predeceased by son, Christopher Thomas Aye and brother, George Thomas Ressler.

Her memorial service will be 2 p.m. Oct. 22 in Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., 4906 Route 309, Schnecksville, with the Rev. James Gottwald officiating.

Friends and family may pay their respects 1-2 p.m. Saturday in the funeral home.

Interment will follow the service at Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, Allentown.

Expressions of sympathy may be made at heintzelmancares.com

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Catawba College, c/o the funeral home, P.O. Box 196, Schnecksville, PA 18078-0196 or at catawba.edu/giving.