Eleanor (Nell) Kneibler of Sebastopol was born in 1944 in Jacksonville, Florida, and died on May 1, 2026. Her parents were Eleanor and Arthur Kneibler. When she was three, the family moved to Libertyville, Illinois. She was the oldest of eight children and enjoyed a country childhood full of outdoor activities, sports, and being around animals.
As an adult, Nell was adventurous and loved to travel. She and her then-husband, David, moved to California and opened several imported clothing stores as well as a wholesale import business based in the Santa Cruz area. This led to travels to Mexico, Afghanistan, and India.
After Nell and David separated, she decided to buy a ranch in Healdsburg and raise cattle. This was an unusual path for a woman at the time, but she was confident that she could do it. She was used to being around large animals and had seen some of her older relatives prosper in the cattle business. Nell was proud that one of her steers, raised by a 4-H girl, was a grand champion steer at the Sonoma County Fair.
Nell had many other interests. She was a seeker and wanted to learn more about Eastern, Western, and Native American religions. Pursuing this, she leased out her pasture and attended Harvard Divinity School. She did retreats at various spiritual centers in India and the United States and, when in the Southwest for a time, was invited to participate in some Navajo ceremonies. She eventually chose Zen Buddhism as her main spiritual practice and opened up her home to a Zen Buddhist group in Healdsburg. After moving to Sebastopol in 2016, she joined the Occidental Laguna Sangha.
Nell also taught Kripalu Yoga at her home in Healdsburg. As an artistic endeavor, she enjoyed practicing and performing African, Flamenco, and Tibetan Tara dances.
Another of Nell’s passions was learning about nature, plants in particular. She went through the year-long programs at Pepperwood and the Laguna Foundation, as well as becoming a Master Gardener. She generously volunteered her time to these and other nonprofits, such as the Climate Center. Nell loved to create beautiful gardens at her homes, and she helped develop and care for the gardens of St. Stephen’s Church in Sebastopol.
During her last days, Nell told friends that she was so grateful to have been born into this wondrous world. Her many friends will deeply miss her adventurous spirit, wide-ranging curiosity, artistic sensibility, humor, generosity, and concern for humanity and our planet.
Nell is survived by her brothers, Nick and Arthur, and sister Bonnie. She was predeceased by her parents, sisters Marguarita and Margot, and brothers Knute and Jamie.