Eleanor Laura Buglak was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania on May 29, 1916 to Michael Buglak and Genevieve (originally Genovfa) Dzierzawiec, both born in Poland.

At the time of the 1930 Federal Census, the family resided in California Borough, Washington County, Pennsylvania. The parents, listed as "Mike" and "Gail," had five daughters, Veronika, Frances, Laura, Josephine and Iva. The father was a coal miner.

Eleanor is listed with the family in 1940, but no occupation is stated.

On June 20, 1948, in Santa Barbara, California, Eleanor married John F. Cooney.

The death of Eleanor occurred on November 23, 1972 in Santa Barbara. Her father died in 1942 in Pennsylvania, and her mother died in 1983 in Phoenix, Arizona.

OBITUARY: Eleanor Laura Cooney, the wife of John F. Cooney, retired fire captain, died at her home Thanksgiving Day after suffering a heart attack. - The rosary will be tomorrow at 8 p.m. at San Rogue Church. Requiem mass will be offered there Monday at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. - In addition to her husband who survives at the family home, 3076 Calle Fresno, Mrs. Cooney leaves two sons, Michael and Patrick; her mother, Mrs. Genevieve Buglak and a sister, Miss Josephine Buglak, both of Phoenix, and two sisters, both living in Santa Barbara, Mrs. Frances Zajack and Mrs. Iva Jean Peterson. - Pallbearers will be R. G. Wickman, Vincent Severtson, Paul Haupert, John Staneff, Alfred Faoro and Gordon Cone. - She was born in California, Pa., May 29, 1916, and grew up there. She entered nurses' training at St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa., and nursed in Ohio and Florida before coming to California in 1942 to the Foster Memorial Hospital in Ventura. Three years later she came here to nurse at the St. Francis Hospital. - After her marriage, June 20, 1948, at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, she retired from nursing.... [Santa Barbara News-Press]

A sister, Veronica, was the first of the Buglak sisters to die. Josephine died in 2002.