Jesse Eckenrode

1915 - 2015

Jessie Irene (Shipley) Eckenrode died quite peacefully at Collington Life Care Community on 23 Nov 2015, just shy of her 101st birthday. The fourth of four girls to Emma Kate (Geiman) and Howard Frederick Shipley, her growing up years were spent on Gorsuch Road, Westminster, MD. She recalled being held by her father on the porch so that she could hear the church bells chiming the end of World War I. Late in high school, her summers were spent waitressing in Atlantic City, where she met Marian Schubauer who remained a life-long friend. After her graduation from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), she moved to Thurmont, MD to take a job as a Home Economics teacher. While there, she met Charles Joseph Eckenrode of Emmitsburg, MD. Upon their engagement at Cunningham Falls, they stopped, and Charles gave Jessie a gardenia, which was from then on was his favorite flower. They were married for 62 1/2 years, from 10 Aug 1938 until Charles died on 04 Mar 2001. It would be surprising had he not greeted her at the pearly gates with a hug and a gardenia in his hand. "Chuck," Charles Joseph, Jr., was born while they lived in Emmitsburg and "Gina," Virginia Kate, in College Park, MD. Gina survives her mother. Sadly, Chuck predeceased Jessie; he also was waiting for her at the pearly gates, with his arms crossed and tapping his foot, wondering what had taken her so long.

Jessie and Charles traveled quite a bit over the years. Most importantly, they frequently visited their grandchildren, all of whom survive, Katherine Lee Eckenrode, Eric Charles Eckenrode, Emma Claire Prasher, Rebecca Kate Prasher, and Karl Edward Prasher. Ava Claire Eckenrode, her great-grandchild, also survives. The couple were avid bridge players, somehow managing to find other players in each of the many places they lived, including in roughly chronological order, Emmitsburg, MD, Riverdale, MD, Frederick, MD, College Park, MD, Colonial Heights, VA, Ashland, KY, Lewisburg, PA, University Park, MD, Atlanta, GA, and Athens, GA.

In 1966, having been a housewife for over 30 years, Jessie took a job at Sylvan Hills Elementary School in SW Atlanta, GA. When Charles took a job at the University of Georgia in 1967, she became a librarian at Lyons Middle School in Athens. When Gina went off to college in 1968, Jessie enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Georgia, at the tender age of 53. Despite feeling as though she could have been the parent of many of her professors, she earned her MEd and EdS in Library Science. She finished her librarian career at Cedar Shoals High School, retiring at the same time as Charles. However, she stayed busy, participating in Cedar Creek Garden Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and particularly Colonial Dames 1700.

After being widowed, Jessie made her final move back to MD, where she joined Marian at Collington. While there, she kept on being busy, playing bridge, arranging flowers for the dining hall and throughout the building, participating in poetry get-togethers, attending musical events, indeed, Collington bustles with activities for the residents. Her 100th birthday was celebrated with most of her family in attendance and a cake with 101 lit candles! So many cared for her that when her time came, there was a constant flow of visitors to bid farewell. In lieu of flowers, her family wishes that donations be made to the upkeep of the St. Anthony Shrine Cemetery, where interment will be held at 4 p.m. on July 28, 2018.