Bro. Darell Eldridge was born on August 8, 1948, at home on a mountaintop on Elk Creek in Blackey, KY. He was called home to Heaven to his eternal reward on Saturday, September 16, 2023. He went to a one-room school on Elk Creek for a couple of years and then grade school at Blackey and graduated from Letcher High in 1966. That fall he enrolled in Calvary College at Letcher, KY, started by some graduates from Bob Jones University. On October 1, 1966, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He was baptized by immersion in the creek at Hindman, KY October 29, 1967. In the fall of 1967, he met his bride-to-be, Judy Walter at Calvary College. During the spring of 1968, he left college and went to New Bremen, Ohio to work in a machine shop as a lathe operator.
On May 1, 1968, he enlisted in the US Army in the Military Intelligence Section of the Army Security Agency as a communications specialist. He had basic training at Ft. Dix, NJ, and AIT at Fort Gordon, GA. He and Judy were married on July 14, 1968. He was stationed for two years in Asmara, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and East Africa. Judy was able to be there with him, where their oldest son Dean was born on June 16, 1970. While in Ethiopia they did volunteer mission work with the Sudan Interior Mission. He spent the final two years of service at Ft. Bragg, NC. He earned the rank of Sargent E-5. Upon discharge, they moved to Celina, OH where he returned to his machine shop job.
In 1973 he felt God’s call on his life to Christian Ministry. They moved to Ft Wayne, IN and he enrolled in Ft Wayne Bible College where he graduated in 1976. Their youngest son Dan was born on Sept. 11, 1973, in Ft. Wayne. His senior year of college he pastored The Gospel Tabernacle in Hicksville, OH. He was licensed and ordained by the Missionary Church and then pastored Cloverport (KY) Missionary Church from 1976 until 1984. Cloverport Baptist (SBC) ordained him in 1984. While at Cloverport he earned an MPS in Counseling from Western KY University. He pastored Central Baptist Church in Hawesville, KY, First Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, IN, Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Williamstown, KY, Blue Spring Baptist in Princeton, KY, Mt Eden Baptist Church in Hawesville, KY, Sacramento (KY) Baptist Church, and Princeton Second Baptist.
He and Judy went on mission trips to Brazil in 1991, 1992, and 1993. He was commissioned by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as a Hospice Chaplain in 1998. He was Green River Hospice Chaplain with Madisonville, KY, Trover Foundation (now Baptist Health Deaconess) serving in McLean, Muhlenberg, and Hopkins Counties 2007-2010. He retired in 2010. After retirement, he preached at White Sulphur Baptist and Lewistown Church in Princeton, Liberty Baptist in Eddyville, KY, as well as Caldwell Springs Baptist Church in Crittenden County, KY. After retirement, he supply preached in Livingston, Crittenden, Union, Lyon, Caldwell, Trigg, Christian, Hopkins, and Breckinridge Counties. He was certified and taught Seminary Extension in Little River Baptist and Caldwell/Lyon Baptist Associations. He fought cancer since 1999, having Leukemia, Lymphoma (9 times) as well as Melanoma. He had radiation for five rounds and chemo for four rounds.
He is preceded in death by his mother Ethel and father Hubert.
He is survived by his wife, Judy, of Princeton, son Dean (Paula); grandsons, Malachi and Josiah, of Walton, KY; son Dan and granddaughters Emma and Danielle of Henderson, TN; one sister, Verna (Cliff) Caudill of Richmond, KY and 5 brothers, 4 in KY; Emory (Glenna), Jack (Betty), David and Mike (Karen), one brother in FL, Steve (Tina), along with a host of relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 20, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Morgan’s Funeral Home and Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Princeton Second Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. September 21, 2023, at Princeton Second Baptist Church with Bro. Duane Burden and Bro. Mike Franklin officiating. Burial will follow with military honors at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West in Hopkinsville.
You may light a candle or share a message with the family at www.morgansfuneralhome.com.
