Katherine Frances Eldridge, a beloved matriarch and cherished member of her community, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2025, at the age of 97. Born on January 8, 1928, in Hazard, Kentucky to Walker Clifton McDaniel, Sr. and Georgia Mae Rountree McDaniel, Katherine spent her life nurtured by the love of her family and the beauty of the world around her.

Katherine was known for her passions-she found joy in gardening, canning her delicious creations, and embracing the outdoors by hunting ginseng. An avid reader and fan of western movies, Katherine gathered countless stories to share, crafting her life into a narrative of love and resilience.

As a dedicated homemaker, Katherine poured her heart into her family, which includes her daughters, Louise Sumner, Shirley Vittitow, Nancy Hardin, Orby Bush, Betty Harvey, and Bonita Eldridge, and her sons, Lawrence "Junior" Eldridge, Richard Eldridge and John Eldridge. Her legacy lives on through them and the many lives she touched with her kindness, wisdom, and warmth. She will also be remembered by her 28 grandchildren, 57 great-grandchildren and 35 great-great-grandchildren.

Katherine was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Lawrence Eldridge, her children, Frances Pruett, Donnie Eldridge and Gary Lane Eldridge, her son-in-law, Lynn Pruett, her great-grandson, Brian Miller, her brothers, Walker McDaniel, Jr., George McDaniel and Donald McDaniel as well as her sisters, Rosa Gladys Bristoe, Barbara Jean Frederick, Willadean Hicks and Nancy Jo Bray.

Join us in celebrating the remarkable life of Katherine Frances Eldridge during a public visitation at Collins Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 11:00 AM until service time at 1:00 PM. She will be laid to rest next to her husband, Lawrence Eldridge at Lexington Cemetery.

The family requests that you celebrate Katherine's legacy by spending time with your family, tending to your gardens, or sharing your own stories-just as she would have done.

Katherine Frances Eldridge is gone from our sight, but she will forever remain in our hearts, guiding us with her love, strength, and the lessons she imparted through her extraordinary life.

Memorial donations may be given in her name to the Lexington Christian Church. Please feel free to share memories and condolences at www.collinsfuneralhome.net.