Glenda Rose Eddleman, 86, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at the Arbors after a long illness.
She was born Dec. 21, 1930, at the family home on North Middle Street in Cape Girardeau, youngest daughter of Glenn H. and Lorena A. Whittaker Deevers.
She attended the former Washington School through second grade, when the family moved to its farm just north of town, the current site of Deevers Farm subdivision. She completed the elementary grades at the former Juden School and attended high school at the former College High School. After graduation in 1949, she worked in the office at the former Deevers Realty.
In early 1951, she met a young Marine veteran, Rodney J. Eddleman, at the old Hilltop dance club in Cape Girardeau. They married Nov. 16, 1951, and were married for 65 years until his death March 1, 2017.
After a few months of marriage, they moved in to help care for her mother-in-law, while building their house on Gordonville Road (now Independence Street). They lived in the house they built for 36 years before moving just north of Cape Girardeau. During their time living in Cape Girardeau, Glenda did light housework for a few people and managed Parkview Apartments for some years.
Glenda was an excellent seamstress and really excelled at quilting. She got interested in quilts as a teenager when her maternal grandmother taught her to quilt. During her active years, she completed over 80 quilts, including some tops originally pieced by her grandmother.
Glenda was an adventurous cook, and her husband used to say about some of her experiments, "I don't know what a lot of it was, but it all tasted good." She did a great job with the old favorites as well. Her grandson could always count on chocolate chip cookies when he came for a visit. She also enjoyed gardening, both vegetable and flowers, and sitting with her husband when he hunted deer and turkeys.
When her children were young, she often volunteered to help out with school activities, Girl Scouts and PTA. Her children and grandson will remember her as being a stickler for doing things the right way and for her deep concern for them.
Preceding her in death were her parents; brothers, Jean J. and James H. Deevers; and a sister Eileen Deevers.
She is survived by her son, William R. (Hope E.) Eddleman; daughter, Glenda Sue (Robert) Morrow; grandson, Christopher P. (Christina R.) Eddleman; great-grandson, William John Eddleman; brother, J.E. (Sally) Deevers; and sister-in-law, Helen J. Willard. She also leaves numerous nieces and nephews and friends.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.
Funeral service will immediately follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jeff Long officiating. Burial will follow in Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the C.C. Eddleman Memorial Scholarship at Southeast Missouri University Foundation, One University Plaza, MS 7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, or the Alzheimer's Association, Greater Missouri Chapter, 9370 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-3214.
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