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CLYDE ELDRIDGE - A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

By Joyce Gittoes

 Ho Happenings, January 2002


"If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." He gives so much of himself to others -- it's no wonder he gets so much back. Cook, artist, philanthropist, friend, a man for all seasons -- that's Clyde Eldridge.


Clyde Eldridge, the handsome, smiling, young Black man that you see tooling around in his wheelchair is indeed a man for all seasons. He is the one whose family and church has prepared and served Thanksgiving dinner to our residents free of charge for the past two years. He also gave the Labor Day barbecue and feeds the cops that deliver our food boxes every month. I mention this because I didn't realize this until very recently, and I thought everyone should know about him.

Clyde was born in Roswell, New Mexico on July 17, 1950. His grandmother never had any sons, so when his young mother gave birth to him, his grandmother took him home from the hospital and raised him as her own. He was the only child of his parents, but he was raised with a host of cousins and has five sisters from his father's marriage.

When Clyde was two years old, he contracted polio, just two months before the polio vaccine was discovered. He was the only person in Roswell who did. But Clyde has never seen his infirmity as that. Even though he was never able to run and play like other kids, he says, "You don't miss what you never had."

Clyde moved to Phoenix in 1957. He attended Longfellow and Booker T. Washington grade schools. When he was around eight or nine, he moved to Sacramento to live with his mother for about six months, but he didn't like it, because they treated him differently. "They put a helmet on me and strapped me to my desk." So, he moved back to Phoenix, completed grade school, and went first to South Mountain High School, and then to Phoenix Union High School. He switched to Phoenix Union High School because that's where most of his friends went.

In 1965, Clyde moved to Aransas Pass, Texas, to live with his father. He finished high school there, and attended Trinity University, studying journalism. He switched to Delmar Technological Institute in Corpus Christi, and studied electronics. He might have finished if Hurricane Camille hadn't come through in 1969 tearing down the school and killing Clyde's best friend and family.
           

Clyde and Barbara show how to prepare dinner.

Clyde's hearty laugh rings out when Barbara makes a comment on his latest recipe.

Food boxes for low-income residents come in once a month. Clyde conducts a cooking class the day after the food boxes arrive. He demonstrates the use of the canned and boxed supplies in order to make good use of them.
CLYDE's BARBEQUE SAUCE

2 cups ketchup;  ½ cup mustard;  Stir
" Saute ½ cup chopped onion and 6 chopped garlic cloves
Pour ketchup/mustard mix on top
Add ½ liquid smoke;  chili powder;  pickle juice;  lemon juice
Simmer down

That same year Clyde came back to Phoenix. Since being back here he has worked as a cook in one of the family's restaurants (Mrs. White's Golden Rule) and taught Art in a school for handicapped children. Clyde is an accomplished artist. Unfortunately, Clyde didn't have a teaching certificate, and when that fact was discovered, he was let go.

In 1982, Clyde moved in with his mother. He worked as a supervisor of a cleaning business owned by a childhood friend. He and the friend had made a promise that if one of them made it big, he would take care of the other one. His friend's family owned property on Jackson Street, and when the factories moved in, they bought the property for big bucks. The friend started a cleaning business and kept his promise by making Clyde the supervisor. Clyde stayed with his mother until her death in 1987. Four years later he moved in with his grandmother and took care of her until her death in 1996.

Clyde moved to the Westward Ho in 1998. He taught Art here for awhile. Two years ago he met Barbara Dixon at a Christmas dinner here. They realized that they knew each other when they were kids in their old neighborhood. Clyde was seeing another girl at the time. Barbara remembers that she was just a skinny, little girl, and he was an "older man."

But they say they both knew it was the real thing right away. Barbara introduced Clyde to the Greater Progressive Community Church on 15th Avenue and McDowell a year ago, and he has been active there ever since.

When you see Clyde, he is usually surrounded by a bunch of kids, but not always the same ones. He is very involved with Barbara's family, especially the children and grandchildren (5 daughters and 9 grandchildren). And Clyde is also a big part of the lives of his nieces, nephews, and cousins. He enjoys being a father figure to them.

Barbara proposed to Clyde about eight months ago, and he accepted right away. They were married here at the Westward Ho at the Thanksgiving Dinner that they prepared, with the help of their church, and served to the residents of the Ho. Clyde says, "She's the most important thing in my life."

Clyde personifies that old adage, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." He gives so much of himself to others -- it's no wonder he gets so much back. Cook, artist, philanthropist, friend, a man for all seasons -- that's Clyde Eldridge.

BEEF SUPREME & SPECIAL MASHED POTATOES

MASHED POTATOES
Put in pan for boiling:   ½ can evaporated canned milk;  About double the amount of water;  ½ stick of butter;  Two chicken bouillon (Herb ox is OK);  Pinch of garlic powder;  Dash of liquid smoke.
After this comes to boil, add Instant mashed potatoes, mixing the flakes in until they look firm.

FOR BEEF
Chop the following:   6 cloves of garlic;  2 stalks of celery;  ½ onion;  1 cup bell peppers, all colors.
To hot frying pan, put in ½ cup Crisco or shortening.  Add the garlic, celery, onion and peppers.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Saute long enough to release oils -- it will look translucent.
Keep stirring and when it reaches the translucent stage, add two heaping tablespoons of all-purpose flour.  When this is thoroughly mixed, add water, about two cups, continue stirring until it has about the consistency of gravy or desired thickness.  Pour in about two tablespoons of Kitchen Bouquet.
Open a can of beef and drain and wipe fat off.  This is easier if can of beef has been in refrigerator.  Add to mixture, heat thoroughly.  Sprinkle some dried parsley on potatoes for looks.  Serve.


This is "Show and Tell" time for Barbara and Clyde.

Clyde demonstrates and explains what goes into this month's recipe.