Obituary of Eula Mae Midkiff
Eula Mae Pelt Midkiff was born November 30, 1922 near Ouiska Chitto in the Pitkin area. She was the oldest of siblings, Jacqueline, Glynn and Roy born to James Monroe and Mary Avery (Self) Pelt. She passed away Wednesday, January 19, 2011 in DeRidder at the age of 88.
Following the death of her mother in 1937, Eula Mae moved to Knight Community to live with her aunt and uncle, Lillie (Self) and T.K. Harvey. Eula Mae graduated from Evans High School in 1942 as valedictorian.
Following graduation, she attended Vincent's Business College in Lake Charles. She earned her Bachelor's of Science degree from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches in 1948, and earned extra credit hours every summer from Louisiana State University in Industrial Education from 1949-53. Eula Mae later earned her Master's degree in Business Education from Northwestern in 1960.
Eula Mae was very proud of her practical training prior to her teaching career. She worked as a stenographer for the War Department at the Army Air Base in DeRidder (1942-44). She was employed as secretary for the general manager at Long Bell Lumber Company in DeRidder (1945). She was secretary for the NSU Industrial Education Department (1945-48), and a stenographer at Fort Polk (1957).
Eula Mae was an instructor of business subjects at Baton Rouge Vocational Technical School (1948-55). She was the Business Education teacher at Evans High School (1955-56) and DeRidder High School (1956-59). As a graduate assistant, she instructed classes in typewriting and shorthand at Northwestern State University (1959-60). She was an instructor in secretarial science for the Department of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas (1960-65). Eula Mae was the Vocational Business and Office Education teacher at Merryville High School (1965-84). Her life stories, anecdotes and quips can still be recited by many former students. After her retirement from teaching in 1984, she was employed as a counselor under the Jobs Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in Leesville (1985-89).
While in college, Eula Mae received the Business Education Award and was a member of Pi Pmega Pi (business) and Kappa Delta Pi (education).
She was a member of the Beauregard Parish Retired Teachers Association, Northwestern State University Alumni and other professional organizations. Eula Mae was a Christian and a member of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, where she served as a teacher for Sunday school, Training Union, and vacation Bible school for many years. Following in her Aunt Lillie's footsteps, she was also church librarian. She was a member of WMU, and she attended conferences at Glorieta, New Mexico while in college.
Eula Mae married Kenneth D. Midkiff on December 17, 1960, and had one daughter, Avery Leanne, born May 24, 1963. Eula Mae and Ken raised beef cattle in the Knight Community. She was known throughout the area for her ability to raise motherless calves. She gave her calves biblical names, and it was common to see them around in her yard, on her porch and looking in her screen door. She helped Ken and Leanne vaccinate and feed calves, but she could never pull a cattle trailer straight through a gate. She enjoyed making jelly, gardening and canning vegetables and fruit every summer. She was always picking up tree limbs after a storm. She hated armadillos for digging holes in her yard and was known to chase after them and whack them on the head with her shovel. She enjoyed her cats, and always had more than she needed. She liked to travel, and had a special fondness for Arkansas and Missouri. Eula Mae knew her family ancestry, and kept up with as many of the Self and Pelt family members as possible. As "Maw" to Ethan, she enjoyed their time together doing a variety of activities.
Eula Mae did everything at a fast pace, talking, walking and even driving, as proven by her speeding tickets over the years. She enjoyed visiting with former students and spouses of former students working in law enforcement.
As a breast cancer survivor since 1961, Eula Mae supported the Vernon Parish Relay for Life. She was one of the guest speakers at the Evans Cancer Awareness Night in May 2003, and candidly spoke of her experience. She was active in Evans High School Alumni activities, and proudly served as EHS Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal in 2002, while also celebrating her 60th Class Reunion. She supported the Knight Community Volunteer Fire Department and donated her time when needed. During the late 1990s, she volunteered as a storyteller for several Evans Elementary classes, telling a variety of humorous short stories to the children.
Eula Mae is survived by daughter, Leanne M. Jeane, and son-in-law, Christopher J. Jeane; grandson, Ethan Wade Jeane; all of Knight Community; sister, Roberta Glynn Brown, Houston, Texas; nieces, Sue Rowzee Goff, Kelly Farmer, Angela Kay; and nephews, Gene R. Rowzee, Wayne Brown, James Goins, Kirk Midkiff, Craig Midkiff, and Doug Midkiff; sister-in-law, Joyce Dean; and brother-in-law, Howard Midkiff.
She was preceded in death by husband, Kenneth D. Midkiff; sister, Jacqueline Rowzee; brother, Roy Pelt; parents, Monroe and Avery Pelt; and nephew, John Brown.
Since her strokes in 2003 and 2004, Eula Mae kept mostly to her home. However, she was still known to go among the cows once in a while to help out. During the birth of a calf, some buzzards were attacking the cow and calf, so she took her broom, crawled through the barbed wire fence, and beat the buzzards off the newborn calf until the cow could clean the calf and move away. She could also move quickly, when necessary, as proven when she was feeding her cats one morning, and looked down to see a skunk eating among the cats. She ran back to the house in record time.
Whether she was Eula Mae, Miss Pelt, Mrs. Midkiff, Mama, Mrs. Eula Mae or Maw, she was the same everyday to everybody. She was a firm believer in the old saying, "If you talk the talk, then you better walk the walk."
The family expresses sincere thanks to those who have visited, called, brought meals, and helped take her to appointments these past few years. Much appreciation to everyone who has been so supportive this past week.
Visitation will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Friday Jan. 21, 2011 at Hixson Funeral Home in DeRidder and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22 until time of service at 1 p.m. at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in the Knight Community. Interment will follow at the Hinson Cemetery. Officiating will be Bro. Roy Lee Johnson and Bro. Ernest O. Jarrell. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonfh.com.
