George Joseph Eldridge

ELDRIDGE, MANLEY, FARLEY, BUCKLES

Posted By: Carol Bawden (email)
Date: 10/14/2007 at 20:48:38

GEORGE JOSEPH ELDRIDGE born 18 Feb 1923 in Davenport, Scott, only son of Joseph Bowman and Martha Nelly Manley Eldridge. He had an older sister Jacque Marietta b 20 Sept 1928 in Davenport. She now lives in Bettendorf, Scott, IA with her husband Stan Buckles. George and Jacque's lineage retreats 3 generations to John (Mary Ann) Eldridge - Duncan Campbell Eldridge's brother. Both Duncan and John were sons of Josiah b. 1777 in Greenwich, Gloucester, NJ.

George attended Davenport public schools, Sacred Heart School, and St. Ambrose Academy. He left the academy in an unsuccessful attempt to enlist in the armed forces during WWII, but completed his high school education in 1965, when he received a diploma from Davenport [Central] High School.

George was the last male heir to the Eldridge name in this area. An earlier cousin, Jacob Mullen Eldridge, oldest son of Duncan, was the namesake to the town of Eldridge, Scott, IA.

He was first employed by the L.E. Jacobs Dental Laboratory in Davenport and then for 13 yrs at International Harvester Farmall Works. For almost 30 yrs, he worked for the United States Government at the Rock Island (IL) Arsenal as a storage management specialist and then in Germany as a supply depot supervisor retiring in 1983.

He married Fay Joyce Farley at Trenton, Grundy, MO on 24 May 1944. She was born 30 Dec 1923 in Harris, Sullivan, MO, dtr of Jerome Louis and Pebble Auxier Ralls Farley. Gay graduated from Galt High School in Galt, Grundy, MO, and after taking several business courses, she moved to Rock Island, Rock Island, IL where she worked at International Harvester. From 1950 until her retirement in 1969, Fay was employed as a quality control inspector at Bendix Co. in Davenport. They had no children.

George was an active parishioner at Davenport's St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. His memberships included Knights of Columbus #532, the Marion Movement of Priests, Blue Army of Fatima, National Assn of Federal Employees and secretary of Isaac Walton League.

The Eldridge-Bawden Families, pub 1986, Anundsen Pub Co., Decorah, IA. Copy in Davenport Pub Lib Special Collections.
QC Times obituary published 14 Oct 2007.