Eloise E. Holman

Eloise Estelle Holman was born on May 31, 1931, in Chicago to George Lewis Ford and Mary Edyth (Wolfe) Ford. She became the big sister to brothers Edsel and Eugene. The family moved from Chicago to San Dimas, California when Eloise was about 17, and the youngest child, Eugene, was about 4 years old. Eloise remembers helping her dad build their house.

Eloise entered La Verne College after graduation from high school, majoring in Home Economics. College helped Eloise become a wonderful seamstress. During college, Eloise met Gerald “Jerry” Holman, and they became a couple. Soon after, Jerry was drafted into service in Texas. Not wanting to lose her, Jerry proposed and they were married, with a promise to Eloise’s family that she would be able to finish college. But life got in the way.

After Jerry’s service, they returned to La Verne so that Jerry could finish college. Eloise worked for and supported the two of them, working for the telephone company.

After Jerry’s graduation, the couple purchased a small home and started their family. Sheree was born in 1955 and Craig in 1958. The family enjoyed camping and boating during this time.

In 1963, Jerry was offered a position in Dallas, Texas. They purchased a beautiful home in an amazing suburb but were only there for 9 months. President Kennedy was shot during the time they lived there.

The family moved back to Pasadena, California in 1964 and lived there until 1968. Eloise was very involved in the church there and was one of “church basement ladies”, involved in all the social aspects of the flock. She helped with ice cream socials, mother/daughter banquets, and many other events, as well as honing her sewing skills, making most of her and her daughter’s clothes.

In early 1968, McPherson College made the Holman family an offer. The city life had become beyond hectic and the couple was looking for a major change in their lives. They moved to McPherson. Eloise again became very involved in the church and as well as college functions, making all the tennis shorts for the men’s tennis team. She also worked in alterations in a downtown dress shop, was a wonderful cook, and homemaker.

As a couple, Jerry and Eloise acquired and maintained approximately 50 rentals in the McPherson area. Eloise did renovations and most of the tax and book work for the properties. During this time, she operated “The Tennis Scene”, a tennis pro shop adjacent to the local tennis courts.

Family time was spent at the Wilson Lake where Jerry and Eloise owned a cabin cruiser named “Too Much”. Eloise was also involved in her son’s tournament tennis endeavors and her daughter's passion for horses. She also ended up fulfilling that promise to graduate from college in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She graduated Magna Cum Laude.

After the kids graduated, it was time to spread their wings. The couple traveled to newly filled Lake Powell, and ended up traveling in an RV to every state in the continental US. Eloise and Jerry spent over 72 years together and enjoyed their lives to the fullest.

Though she was an elegant, well rounded woman, Eloise was tough. She survived a traumatic brain injury (scooter accident) as well as 4 kinds of stage 4 cancer.

Eloise is survived by a daughter, Sheree Collins and her husband, Charles, and daughter, Sara (Tyler); son, Craig Holman and his wife, Karen, and their children, Alyson and Michael (Bernitez); and a brother, Eugene Ford and his wife, Maureen.

She was preceded in death by parents, George & Mary Ford; husband of 72+ years, Jerry Holman; and a brother, Edsel Ford.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, January 9, 2026, at Stockham Family Funeral Home with Rev. Kathryn Whitacre officiating.  Burial will follow at McPherson Cemetery.  To view a live stream broadcast of the service, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Memorial donations may be given to the McPherson Public Library or McPherson College Tennis in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.