Edistina "Eddy" Mckeown Kelso Obituary (1921

Just as she did everything in life, Edistina "Eddy" McKeown Kelso, 88, met death on her own terms. After defying medical science by surviving multiple strokes and diseases, Eddy Kelso, the original die hard, passed away peacefully in her sleep Friday, November 27, 2009—when good and ready. Eddy's full life began on April 15, 1921, in Decatur, Illinois, where she was born the fourth of six children to William and Edistina (Beggs) McKeown. So many of Eddy's favorite stories came from those early years: stories about trying to keep up with her 3 older siblings, even when it got her into trouble; making it through the Depression by renting out rooms and sharing food from their farm; and playing partner to her older brothers while they learned how to dance at home, only to discover a true talent for cutting a mean rug—a talent she put to good use well into her 70's. Eddy didn't just dance her way through life though, nor did she slide by on her traffic-stopping good looks. Raised to value education, she embraced it, graduating in 1937 from Decatur High School and earning her Bachelor's Degree in Hospital Dietetics from Milliken University in 1941—a time when few women went to college. While she never worked in a hospital, Eddy did use her degree by referencing it shamelessly whenever lecturing a family member on proper nutrition. With or without credentials, Eddy was never shy about expressing herself. She didn't sit around waiting for Prince Charming to come knocking either; in fact, she did the knocking. While working part-time at JC Penney's, Eddy spied a handsome man designing a store window and knocked boldly on the window to get his attention. The window dresser, seeing this gorgeous redhead beseeching him in her intensely blue-eyed way, stopped work to go talk with her. The charisma swirled and the chemistry sparked, and by 1941, Eddy and Billy P. Kelso were married. Subsequently, Bill went overseas to serve the Army during WWII, they moved to Glendale, CA, and they gave birth to their daughter Linda—all within their first year of marriage. Two years later, they were blessed with another daughter Patricia, and with Bill still in the Army, Eddy largely raised them alone. So many changes in so few years proved too much for them, and they divorced in 1949. Eddy was first and foremost a mother to her two daughters. In spite of having to work full-time, her children remained top priority, and they knew it. Money was tight, but thanks to Eddy's expert seamstress skills, her daughters were always well dressed. Eddy worked all kinds of different jobs to support her kids—whatever she could find, including being the first gun-toting female police officer in Los Angeles, California, and later with the Lane County Sheriff's Department in Eugene, Oregon. When it became necessary to slow down a bit, she became the head bookkeeper for Western Airlines in Anchorage, Alaska. However, in between chasing crooks and balancing books, Eddy's major career was in education. She taught PE, Health, and driver's education classes at Springfield High School for over ten years. Eddy even worked as the rally/cheer squad coach. Lots of people cheered for Eddy, and in 1954, she married Jerry M. Miller, and they made their home in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, where they lived until Jerry died in 1974. Years later, in an almost unprecedented move unless you count Elizabeth Taylor, Eddy and Bill Kelso met up again in Anchorage, Alaska, rekindled their lifelong love, and got remarried in 1981—this time for good. Except for the confusion over which anniversary year to celebrate, their second time around was ideal. Among her many interests, she enjoyed cooking, (who could ever forget her delicious Sweet & Sour Beans?); dancing (the Jitterbug and the Charleston remained her favorites, though she was also fond of kicking up her heels in an Irish jig); and singing in the choir (though she didn't need a choir—she sang all the time around the house, either making up songs or singing along to versions of songs from the 1920s – 1950s.) She had a great capacity for remembering lyrics and an even greater capacity for belting them out show-stopper style. She thrived at family gatherings and would often conduct "happy unbirthday parties" for her family. She was an accomplished poet, writing letters completely in rhyme that included such pairings as "the school's dance" and "a fool's glance." Eddy loved Westerns, and always knew how a Western movie would end, even when she insisted she'd never seen it before and it had a twist ending. Eddy also embraced her Irish ancestry, and later in life spent years tracing her roots, eventually producing a book of her family's genealogy as a gift for every family member, so they could all be proud of their strong Irish heritage. Everyone knows you're not supposed to have favorites when it comes to family. Nevertheless, Eddy Kelso will always be remembered as everyone's favorite mom, grandma, and great-grandma, to all those who were lucky enough to be able to call her family. Survivors include her husband, Billy Kelso, her two daughters and their spouses: Linda and David Chapman of Bowie, Maryland; Patricia "Pat" and Bob Browning of Forest Grove, Oregon; two siblings: Katie Bradshaw of Springfield, Illinois, and Sally Franco of Hawthorne, California; six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. A celebration of Eddy's life will be held at the Eugene Eagles Lodge, 1375 Irving Road, Eugene, Oregon, on Monday, December 14, 2009, at 2 p.m. The family suggest donations in Eddy's name to the OHSU Ronald McDonald House.