Dorothy Eldridge

Mrs. Dorothy I. Eldridge, 91, of Greenville, went to be with the Lord on Monday morning, Sept. 21, 2009 from her home under the loving care of her family and Hospice of Michigan. The daughter of Delbert & Dora (Lucas) Bradshaw, she was born on March 29, 1918 in Gowen. On April 6, 1940, in Belding, she was united in marriage to Winford O. Eldridge by Rev. Ellis who had performed the weddings for five generations of Dorothys family. Together, she and Win raised two children and made their home in Greenville. For 18 years, Dorothy worked at the former Ore-Ida Foods, and had been a member of the Greenville First Church of God for over 40 years, serving as a substitute pianist and Sunday school secretary for over 30 years. In more recent years, she attended Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville and New Hope Church of God in Belding. While Dorothy enjoyed gardening and flowers, bird watching, her cats (Precious and Fire Cracker), she found her greatest joy in her family especially her grandkids. She was preceded in death by her husband Winford Eldridge on Aug. 16, 2004; her parents; a grandson, Troy Collier; a sister and brother-in-law, Irene & Ben Conrad; and a niece, Pam Conrad. Surviving are a daughter, Patricia & Ed Gooding; a son, Chuck & Diantha Eldridge; all of Greenville; grandchildren, Jeff & Suzie Eldridge, Cheryl & Tony Taylor, Rev. Timothy & Angie Hyde, Annette & Greg Merren, Trevor Collier, Jon & Patty Eldridge, and Lisa Hopp; thirteen great grandchildren (with the fourteenth on the way); two great-great granddaughters; a special niece and nephew, Carol & Bill Reed, and Ronnie & Shelva Conrad; and many other dear relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009 at the Brown-Teman & Christiansen Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 511 S. Franklin Street, Greenville, with the Rev. Don OLeary, Rev. Tim Hyde, and Rev. Kelly Munger officiating. Burial will follow at Rest Haven Memory Gardens, Belding. Visitation is Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. and Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. at the funeral home, where envelopes for memorial contributions to either the New Hope Church of God Building Fund or your local Humane society are available. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dorothy Eldridge, please visit our flower store.