KU dining hall namesake ‘Mrs. E’ dies at 98

Nona Golledge, left, director of KU Dining Services, walks with Lenoir Ekdahl (Mrs. E) through the renovated Elkdahl Dining Hall during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.

It would be impossible to count how many University of Kansas students Lenoir Ekdahl helped nourish — and sometimes indulge, too — through the years.

Ekdahl led the KU food services program for almost 35 years, and countless students since have taken meals at her namesake KU dining hall, affectionately known as Mrs. E’s.

Ekdahl, of Lawrence, died Friday at age 98.

In 1955, Ekdahl started working at KU as a dietitian in the KU housing department, according to her Journal-World obituary.

The following year, in 1956, she became KU’s first residential dining director. After 35 years of employment at the university, including 34 as director of food services, Ekdahl retired in 1989.

Katie Cox, left, of Lawrence, and Kenneth Stoner, right, the former KU Director of Housing, visit with Lenoir Ekdahl on Friday, March 28, 2008, during Ekdahl's 90th birthday celebration at Lewis Hall on the KU campus. Ekdahl worked for KU for 35 years. The dining hall at Lewis Hall was named Ekdahl Dining Commons, or Mrs. E's, in 1993, in honor of her service.

“Ekdahl was a pioneer and giant in the creation of food services at KU, at one point operating eight KU dining commons — one for each residence hall,” said David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Union, which now oversees KU Dining Services.

In 1993, the dining facility connected to Lewis Hall on Daisy Hill was renamed in her honor as Lenoir D. Ekdahl Dining Commons — usually referred to simply as Mrs. E’s. The three-level Mrs. E’s features food court-style service, and it seats more than 700, according to KU.

At a grand reopening event following a $5 million renovation in 2013, a then-95-year-old Mrs. E herself appeared as the guest of honor.

“When I was here in ancient times, when we had three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. And they were served at certain hours,” Ekdahl told the Journal-World at the time. “They changed it a lot, but it’s for the best.”

The dining hall renovations that were unveiled in 2013 include two food court stations paying tribute to Ekdahl: Lenoir’s Classics, offering comfort foods such as meatloaf and pot roast, and a dessert station called Delights. To that, Ekdahl responded, “delight is my middle name.”

Diana Robertson, KU Student Housing director, said not only did Ekdahl mentor many dining professionals that followed her, she enjoyed being invited back to campus most years for a meet-and-greet with students so they could meet “the real Mrs. E.”

Nona Golledge, former director of KU Dining Services, called Ekdahl a “remarkable woman.”

“Her legacy will live on at KU through her generous endowed gift for scholarships to student dining employees, and through the largest campus dining facility named in her honor,” Golledge said, in an emailed statement. “She will be missed.”

Ekdahl received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in home economics and institutional management from Kansas State University, according to her obituary. Before coming to KU, she was a teacher in both rural and urban areas in Kansas.

In the community, she was involved with Trinity Lutheran Church, Lawrence Pilot Club, American Dietetic Association, American Home Economics Association and American Association of University Women, and remained a longtime fan and supporter of KU, according to her obituary. The Lenoir D. Ekdahl Scholarship is for KU students working their way through school by employment with KU food service.

Funeral services for Ekdahl are planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 New Hampshire St. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Warren-McElwain, 120 W. 13th St.

Burial is planned for 11 a.m. Friday in Ekdahl’s hometown, Marquette.