PINE BLUFF — Flora “Flo” Mae Bell Spangler Eldridge,
90, died peacefully August 16, 2020, in Pine Bluff. She was born September 15, 1929, in Rush Springs, Okla., to John Henry Spangler and Alice Sanders Spangler.
She had five older siblings:
Rosie, Walter, Harlis, Ruby, and Chester. The Spangler family moved from Oklahoma to Richmond, Calif., where Flo graduated from Richmond High School in 1948. Before graduating from high school, Flo met her future husband, John Don Eldridge, Jr., while he was in the Navy stationed at Treasure Island, Calif. Flo and John were married May 28, 1950, in Bastrop, La., and raised two children, Kathleen and John, III “Buddy”.
After living in California and Louisiana, Flo and John settled in Pine Bluff in 1956 to raise their family and begin a long career at the new International Paper Company mill. Flo was the Mill Manager’s Secretary and John was Traffic Coordinator. They were inseparable, even riding to work and eating lunch together every day.
Their lives were enriched with the love John had for Quarter Horses and showing them in Western Pleasure classes. During the 1970’s they had as many as 21 Quarter Horses at their home and barn in Pine Bluff. Flo never loved riding, but she sure loved John, farm life, gardening, and her dogs-most of them named for her favorite German Shepherd, Finn. After 28 years of marriage, John died in 1979 and she continued to live on the farm in the home they built together.
Flo worked for International Paper until her retirement in 1992, when she discovered her passion for estate sale shopping, flea market treasure hunting, and genealogy. She loved vintage jewelry-especially costume-and collected, researched, cleaned and catalogued huge amounts of it.
Flo was a strong advocate for her family and would do most anything for them, but had no problem giving someone a piece of her mind. She will be lovingly remembered for her “warm, giving heart, but sometimes aggravating demeanor”. She was a faithful member of Lakeside United Methodist Church and later Sulfur Springs United Methodist Church, where she was church secretary and sang in the choir. She shared her love of music by providing pianos for her children and grandchildren to take lessons, leaving a lasting musical legacy for her family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, husband, and grandson, Jay Fullerton.
She is survived by her two children, John D. Eldridge, III (Echo) of Colorado Springs and Kathleen Fullerton (Fred) of Russellville; four grandchildren, Katie York (Aubrey) of Fayetteville, Andrew Fullerton of Russellville, Ashley Winter (Ryan), and John D. Eldridge, IV (Sarah) of Colorado Springs; six great-grandchildren, Davis and James York, Ainsley Brown-Fullerton, Cash and Maverick Winter, and Elyse Eldridge; and her dear caregiver Amanda Wooldridge (Ronnie) of Rison.
Graveside service will be Saturday, August 22, 2020, at 3 p.m., at Hewitt Cemetery in Jefferson County by Ralph Robinson and Son, officiated by Mike Jamieson. Pallbearers are John Eldridge, Fred Fullerton, Drew Fullerton, Aubrey York, Ronnie Wooldridge and Austin Rushing.