Reeve LeRoy Eldridge

CLEAR LAKE: Reeve LeRoy Eldridge, 85, of Clear Lake, went home to be with his heavenly Father, whom he served and loved, Sunday, June 8, 2008 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.  Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Thursday at the Free Methodist Church, 604 23rd Street SW with Pastor Larry Day officiating.  Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.  Military rites will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans Memorial Association.  Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Wednesday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue and continue at the church one hour before the service.  Memorials may be directed to Free Methodist World Missions or Hospice of North Iowa.  Reeve was born April 3, 1923 in Mason City the son of Russell and Zella (Wyborny) Eldridge.  He graduated from Mason City High School in 1941 then attended Hamilton Business College.  Reeve joined the US Army Signal Corps serving in the Philippines and Japan for 4 years.  Reeve married Maxine Helga Ashland February 14, 1943 on the Anders and Lois Ashland farm North of Clear Lake.  Reeve farmed the Ashland farm and also worked at the Sugar Beet plant, IMC, Sears and retired from AMPI in 1985.  He was an avid gardener and shared much of his produce and berries with family and friends.  Reeve was a life long member of the Mason City Free Methodist Church where he served on the board of trustees and board of deacons.  He also served as a steward, Sunday school teacher, and usher.  He was a faithful servant in many other areas including custodial, tape ministry to shut-ins, transportation, maintenance and any other needed duties.  Reeve was a Bible scholar and very interested in missions.  He was a compassionate and caring person always seeing the good in others and had a witty sense of humor.  Reeve was very generous and helpful to all who knew and loved him.  Reeve was a wonderful and loving husband, dad, grandpa and great grandpa.  He will be missed by all of those who knew him and were touched by his life. 
 
Reeve is survived by his beloved wife, Maxine Helga Eldridge of Clear Lake; children, Terry LeRoy (Nancy) Eldridge of Fertile, Lois Pearl (Dr. Peter) Barringer of Manhattan, Kansas and Mark Anders (Vicki) Eldridge of Clear Lake; daughter-in-law, Christina Eldridge of Summerville, South Carolina; grandchildren, Devon Eldridge, Alisha Eldridge, Renee McCoy, Andrew (Joan) Barringer, Rebecca (Anthony) Harwell, Sarah (Cody) Hess, Keri (Paul) Mixdorf, Ryan (Stacy) Eldridge and Staci Jo Eldridge; 12 great grandchildren; brother, Russell (Doris) Eldridge of Perry.
 
Reeve was preceded in death by his parents, son, Douglas Reeve and brother, Eugene Robert.

Cemetery:
Memorial Park Cemetery

Visitation:
From 5:00 to 7:00 PM Wednesday at Major Erickson Funera Home

Service:
10:30 AM Thursday at the Free Methodist Church