- Date Of Birth: September 26, 1932
- Date Of Death: July 17, 2017
- State: Colorado
Cleberne D. (C. D.) Eldridge died Monday, July 17, 2017 at his home in Denver, CO. He was born September 26, 1932 in Liberal, KS, the son of Hazel Pennington Eldridge Cooper and Merle Eldridge. C.D. grew up in the old rock house near the Palo Duro River east of Hardesty, OK. He graduated from Hardesty High School in 1950. He joined the United States Air Force and served in Korea for four years. Although he was in hostile territories, he never saw battle. He spoked fondly of the time he and his squad freed South Korean refugees from the North Korean prisons. He met Shirley (Houpt) Eldridge while he was stationed at Lowry Air Force base. They were married on September 4, 1953 in Englewood, CO. They enjoyed 63 years of loving marriage. They raised four children, Carolyn Yurchick, Steven Eldridge, Janice Ramsey, and Tobie Pless. Tobie passed away in 2015. He and Shirley also welcomed over 50 foster children into their loving home. They also had twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In 1961, CD and his family moved to Denver, CO. He worked for the Denver Fire Dept. starting as a mechanic and rising to the position of Chief Master Mechanic. While working as the master mechanic, CD was involved in the purchasing of fire trucks. He also attended all 3 and 4 alarm fires prepared to fix any mechanical issues that might arise during the crisis. CD retired from the fire department in 1988. CD developed an interest in mechanics at a young age.
