Eldon was born on January 11, 1933, in Bond County, Illinois, to Maudie (Cook) and Hoyt Greenwood. He married Betty Jenne on June 22, 1955.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Gay (Rick) Kirkton; sons Bruce (Kathy)and Dale (Nancy); grandchildren Katie Kirkton, Thomas Kirkton, Grace Greenwood, Harrison Greenwood, Sydney Greenwood, and Nick Greenwood; a sister, Marilyn (Don) Blankenship, and a brother Larry (Beverly) Greenwood, as well as nieces and nephews.
Eldon earned a B.S. in Agriculture with Honors from the University of Illinois in 1954 and an M.S. in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management in 1957.
He was in the Air Force ROTC at the University of Illinois and served in the United States Army from 1954-1956.
In 1957 he was hired as an Assistant Farm Manager at the Illinois National Bank of Springfield and spent his entire career at the bank, serving as a Farm Manager and Trust Officer throughout his career. From 1990 to 1998 he was Vice-President, Regional Farm Manager, for First of America Agricultural Services. He was then self-employed as a Farm Real Estate Appraiser and Consultant.
Eldon served his community in many capacities. He was a member of the Chatham Kiwanis Club and served as vice-president and president. He edited a Chatham newsletter as a Kiwanis Club project until it became the Chatham Clarion newspaper. He served as the Institutional Representative of Pack 48 and Troop 48 of the local Boy Scouts. A member of St. John’s Lutheran Church for many years, he served in several roles including elder and treasurer. Because of his love of agriculture, he was an avid longtime supporter of FFA chapters in the area. One of his greatest passions was Lincoln Land Community College. He was elected to the founding Board of Trustees for the college in 1967 and helped to hire Dr. Robert Poorman as its first president. He was involved in selecting a site for the temporary campus and developing the permanent campus. He was the last surviving member of the original board. His interest in and support of LLCC lasted for the rest of his life.
Professionally, he held the office of President of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers in 1974. Twelve years later in 1986 he received their Hall of Fame Award. In 1985 he was named President of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. The society honored him with the presentation of the D. Howard Doane Award in 1986.
Visitation: Family will receive friends from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2024, at Butler Funeral Home, 8855 State Route 4, Chatham, IL.
Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 22, 2024, at Butler Funeral Home, Chatham, with Rev. Gaylord Spilker officiating.
Burial will follow at Camp Butler National Cemetery with military honors provided by the Interveterans Burial Detail of Sangamon County and the Department of Defense.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Lincoln Land Community College or Trinity Lutheran Church, Edinburg.
