Eldon Miller Snowden, 96, resident of Wesley Village, Macomb, died at 8:06 a.m. Feb. 13, 2016.
He was born June 27, 1919, in Eldorado Township, McDonough County, a son of Otis G. and Nellie Snowden. He married Eileen L. Clemens on June 12, 1943, in Augusta. She survives.
Also surviving are two daughters, Cynthia (and William “Bill”) Stephens of Industry and Dena Snowden of Cedar Falls, Iowa; one brother, Larry (and Marjorie) Snowden of Farmington; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by seven brothers, Edmond, Dave, Dale (in World War II), Don, Devere, Dwight and Wendell.
He was a graduate of Vermont High School, served in the United States Air Corps for four years with three of those years in England and the European Theater during World War II. He was a graduate of the U.S. Air Corps Technical Training School in Communications. After serving in the Air Corps he was employed by McDonough County Power Cooperative for nine years before serving as General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of McDonough Telephone Cooperative for 29 years (1955-84). He also served as a director on the First Federal Bank Board for 35 years retiring in March of 2001.
He was active in the communications industry, serving 12 years as a director of the National Telephone Cooperative Association Board of Directors in Washington, D.C., and as president for two years. He was elected for three terms (six years total) on the Rural Telephone Bank Board in Washington, D.C., and served as its treasurer for four years before retiring from that board upon his retirement from the McDonough Telephone Cooperative.
He was instrumental in forming the Illinois Telephone Cooperative in 1958 and served as its president for the first five years and secretary until his retirement in 1984. He also served on the Illinois Telephone Association Board of Directors for six years and as its president for one year.
He served two years on the Bell Independent Joint Planning/Owning Industry Project Committee that developed toll network ownership in the United States prior to the Bell and AT&T breakup by the FCC.
He was a 57-year member of the Masonic Lodge and a 25-year member of the Macomb Elks Club. He also served as past president of the Colchester Lions Club and past president of the Macomb Kiwanis Club. He served 10 years on the Social Corps of Retired Executives Board and as its president for five years.
He was a member of United Methodist Church/Wesley United Methodist Church in Macomb serving several years as its treasurer and on the building committee, and also served as president of his Sunday School class. He served as president of Wesley Village Retirement Center during the formation stage for five years and on the board of directors for several years after that.
He was active in the local area where he lived, serving as president of the Meadowbrook Association and took interest in the maintenance and development of the area.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at his church in Macomb with Reverend Dr. Howard White officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday at Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb. Masonic services will be held at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Macomb with full military honors being conducted by the Macomb American Legion and the Macomb VFW.
Memorials be made to Wesley Village, MDH Hospice or Wesley United Methodist Church.
Condolences may be sent to clugston-tibbittsfh.com.
Current Obituaries in the Astoria South Fulton Argus