Alma Louise “Cricket” Eidson, age 102, passed away on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at Mercy Hospital with her daughter and son by her side.
She was born at home on a farm in Rohrer, Illinois on January 22, 1917, the third child of seven born to Trueman and Bessie (McCracken) Farmer.
Cricket was employed by Sangamo Electric in Springfield, Illinois when she met the love of her life living next door to where she was living. He was Naval Cadet Clark William (Bill) Eidson II. Bill and Cricket were married on January 18, 1943 during WWII in St. Louis, MO. He predeceased her at the young age of 43 in 1965 leaving her with the challenge of raising their two children, daughter Cheryl Ann Eidson and son Clark William (Bill) Eidson III.
Cricket followed her husband to many cities across the country as he was a Naval Cadet in training to be a pilot and being married wasn’t allowed. Bill changed from the Naval Air Corp to the Army Air Corp as they had too many men in the Naval Air Corp. He was just days from receiving his wings when he fell down a flight of stairs and was in a body cast ending his career in the service.
Bill and Cricket loved to square dance and to take many vacations to Canada fishing. There were many family vacations to Florida, Colorado and Yellowstone. Cricket was a wonderful cook and had many recipes people were always requesting from her. She loved to make handmade Christmas stockings, mittens, aprons and decorations for her friends in the earlier years, and put love into each one.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease around 2008. Her daughter Cheryl Ann, retired early in 2005 and lovingly cared for her Mother 24-7 for 14 years promising her she would never put her in a nursing home and with the help of her brother Bill they were able to keep this promise.
Cricket was baptized in her late teens at Elliott Avenue Baptist Church in Springfield, Illinois. After the death of her husband in 1965 she was baptized into the Presbyterian faith at First and Calvary Presbyterian Church here in Springfield.
Cricket was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bill Eidson, her brothers Carl, Glenn and Verne and her sisters Mildred, Lorene and Maxine. She is survived by her daughter Cheryl Ann Eidson of the home and her son Bill
Eidson, Springfield, Mo. She is also survived by many nephews and nieces who were loved very much and two cousins and many friends. Everyone loved Cricket. She was a beautiful loving wife and a wonderful caring
and loving Mother.
She was a very giving person and did without herself, to make her children happy. She was always there for us and loved us dearly as we did her. She will be missed so very much and our hearts are broken, but she is not suffering now and is with our Daddy and Jesus.
Visitation will be on Monday, May 6, 2019 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in Greenlawn Funeral Home South with the service following at 1:00 pm in the funeral home. Burial will follow service in Maple Park Cemetery, Springfield, Missouri.