Eldon Arnett Herd

Eldon was born March 23, 1926 in Comanche County, the fifth of six children of J.J. Herd and Bernice Shields Herd. He passed away October 15, 2015 in Lawrence KS.

He graduated from Protection High School in 1944. He attended Southwestern College for a semester then transferred to Washburn College for two years. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity.

Eldon enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 and served three years. During that time he graduated from Officer Candidate School then served as the Materiel Facilities Supply Officer at SAC Headquarters, Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska.

He married Glenna Davis in 1955. She had come to Coldwater as the music teacher. They had fifty wonderful years together. To the union were born five sons who grew up in the South Bay area of San Francisco.

Eldon’s activities relating to their sons growing up included; coaching baseball and spent several years managing youth football clubs. His major activity was watching his sons participate in sports and in musical activities.

He served as club president; he served as Unit Board President of North-East Kansas for several years; he served on the District 15 Board of Directors for several years; he served as Chairman of eleven Sectional/Regional Bridge Tournaments of the American Contract League. The Lawrence Duplicate Bridge Club grew and became the Kaw Valley Bridge Club where bridge games were scheduled five days a week. The American Contract Bridge League (which covers all of North America) named Eldon to a permanent membership to the Goodwill Committee. Eldon and Glenna both became Life Masters in Duplicate Bridge,

Eldon also served a number of years on the Board of Directors of the Douglas County Senior Services. Eldon served two years as Chairman of the Vantage Pointe Foundation, a private fundraising arm for Douglas County Senior Services and other aging organizations.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife Glenna, his parents, his brothers James, Harold (and wife Midge) & Ronald (and wife Jeanie).

He leaves to mourn, his sons: Kevin and wife Debbie (California), Marston (California), Drew and wife Allison (California), James, Sean and wife Christine (all of Lawrence, KS); eight grandchildren; four great grandchildren; his siblings: Lorraine Kendrick of Oklahoma City and Barbara Crane and sister-in-law Maxine Herd of Coldwater plus 14 nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at Kaw Valley Bridge Club, 1025 N. 3rd Street, Suite 120 (next to the DMV N. Lawrence) in Lawrence.

Ronald Herd’s memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on October 24, 2015 at 200 N. Baltimore Avenue, Coldwater, KS 67029. Eldon Herd’s Memorial service will be held on Sunday October 25, 2015, at the same location with and an Open House being held from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. also at the same location.

The family suggests memorials to Douglas County Senior Services and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

2 Condolences

  1. Dale LeBar on October 18, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Prayers and hugs during this time.

    The LeBar family.



  2. Judy Heller on October 20, 2015 at 7:18 am

    Eldon was a delightful man with an ever-ready smile. He was a pleasant and capable bridge player who never lost sight of the fact that it was a game. This gentleman will be greatly missed, but I’m grateful that I knew him.



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