Eleanor (Beadles) White

Eleanor L. (Beadles) White, 104, of Macomb, formerly of Tennessee, Illinois, died Monday, September 26, 2022, at Bickford of Macomb. She was the second oldest resident of McDonough county.

Eleanor Leona Beadles was born August 2, 1918, in St. Mary, Hancock county, Illinois, the fourth child of Orval Louis Beadles and Adda May Jackson Beadles. She lived in St. Mary, later on the Foley farm near the Lamoine River east of St Mary, then at her parents’ farm in Lamoine township northeast of Plymouth, Illinois. She attended St. Mary school, North school, and graduated from Plymouth high school in 1936.

Eleanor married Cecil V. White April 16, 1938, at Kahoka, Missouri, and their first home was across the road from the Sacred Heart Catholic church in Tennessee, Illinois. In 1939 they moved to the home on South Washington Street in Tennessee which was built by Cecil’s grandfather, Samuel M. White. This house remains in their family. Three children were born to them, Stanley Wayne White, Gerald Leon White, and Christine Annette White.

Surviving family members are her son, Gerald and Mary Jane White, rural Colchester, daughter-in-law, Bea White, Temple, Texas; grandchildren, Melissa and Jeff Calhoun, Geoffrey and Kimberly White, Randy and Lisa White, Krista White and Sharon Tousley, Dawn and Mark Heitman, Steven Vasek, Jeremy and Jennifer Dahl, Gregory and Jaimie Dahl, Daniel Dahl, and David and Tara Dahl. Great-grandchildren are Stephen, Josiah, Rebekah, Katherine, Johnathan and Chloe, Anna, Mary Ann, Grandt, Kristian, Julia, and Joseph White; Lindsey and Sean Simon, Blake White; Chelsea and Matthew McLeod, Ian Heitman; Kaylee White, Noah White; Olivia and Eliah Dahl; Bryce, Everlee, and Amelia Dahl; Levi, William, and Eleanor Rose Dahl. Great-great-granddaughter is Sadie Kay Simon and a great-great-grandson is due in November. Also surviving are several nieces, nephews, and cousins and her sister-in-law, Juanita Briggs, 106, who is the oldest living resident of McDonough county.  

Preceding Eleanor in death were her parents, her husband Cecil who died December 18, 2005, her son, Stanley White, who died on her 99th birthday August 2, 2017, her daughter, Christine White Dahl Briegel, who died August 15, 2022, a sister, Florene and John J. Pittenger, and two brothers, Leon and Dolores Beadles and Wayne and Goldie Beadles.

When Cecil was called to active duty during WWII, Eleanor took on his position as rural carrier for the Tennessee mail route with her parents assisting with their sons, and her father and father-in-law helping her with the route with horses when roads were bad. After Cecil returned from military service, he and Eleanor bought Camp Ellis buildings and used them to build the Round-Up Roller Rink in Tennessee which opened in 1949. In 1952 two bowling lanes were added above the skating rink. They operated the skating rink until they moved to Hull, Illinois, in 1971 where Cecil worked as a rural mail carrier until retiring. They spent winter months in Mission, Texas, then moved to a Wesley Village apartment in Macomb in 2003. Eleanor moved to Bickford in 2017.

Eleanor was a member of the cradle roll of St Mary’s Baptist Church, was baptized as a young woman at First Baptist Church of Plymouth, and was a member of Tennessee United Methodist Church for many years. She was currently a member of Faith Fellowship Church of Tennessee. She was active in United Methodist Women of Tennessee and Hull and served as pianist for the First Baptist Church of Plymouth, Tennessee United Methodist Church, and Hull United Methodist Church. She served on the school board of Tennessee School with Harry Wetzel and John James Pittenger, her brother-in-law. Eleanor and Cecil were involved in the Host Family program at Western Illinois University, being host family to several students from Malaysia and Burma. They traveled to Malaysia to visit some of the students and their families. They attended the wedding of WayWay Hlaing and Severin Braun in Florida and Eleanor has enjoyed remaining in contact with them and their daughter, Clarimond. Cecil and Eleanor  were active in square dance and round dance groups in Macomb and Texas.

Eleanor will be remembered by her family for her homemade noodles, freezer slaw, pickles, pickled beets, sloppy joes, minute steaks, and pumpkin pie.

Funeral Service will be 10:00 A.M. Friday, October 14, 2022, at Jones Mortuary, Colchester.  Burial will follow the services at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Macomb with Rev. Dave Scott.  Visitation with the family will be 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. Thursday, October 13, 2022, at the funeral home. Friends may view and sign the register book at the funeral home after 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Wednesday, then 8:30 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Thursday. Memorial is to Traditions Health Hospice 3000 N Main St, East Peoria, IL 61611.  Online Condolences and memories may be expressed to the family at jonesmortuaryfh.com

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