Goria May Eidam

Gloria May Eidam, 86, passed away unexpectantly at St. Luke’s Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho on Monday, June 9, 2025 after a short illness.

Gloria was born to Emanuel Gomer and Lillie Marie (Hill) Gomer on July 18, 1938 in Caldwell, Idaho along with her twin sister, Gladys. Her family moved to a dairy farm north of Nampa in 1941, and she and her five sisters and one brother attended Lone Tree School. Gloria graduated from Nampa High School in 1956 and Idaho State College (now University) in 1961 with a BA in Business Education. She taught a variety of business classes and led FBLA at Boise High School (1960-1967), Borah High School (1967-1969), and Pendleton High School (1969-1975). Gloria then worked for Oregon State University’s Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center in Pendleton, Oregon from 1975 until her retirement in 2003 after 28 years of being the center’s State Office Administrator.

In 1986, Gloria received OSU’s Classified Employee Award for being “the glue that held the Columbia Basin Ag Research Center together” and “a talented one-woman team” who not only performed a large variety of duties but also went above and beyond relieving the center’s superintendent of many of his secondary duties. Gloria was also a past member of American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a past board member of Pendleton Swim Association.

Gloria met Roland M. Eidam, owner of Pendleton Rec Center (later V.I.P. Pools, Spas, & Billiard Supplies), when she moved to Pendleton, Oregon to teach business classes at Pendleton High School. They were married at United Methodist Church on May 2, 1970, and they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary this year. Fifty of those years, they lived across the street from McKay Creek Elementary School in Pendleton. Roland and Gloria have two children, Angela Chojnacky (Matt) of Jerome, Idaho and Eric Eidam of Oregon City, Oregon. Angela and Eric played numerous sports every year including baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, football, dance, and swimming. Gloria and Roland were always there to get them to practice and cheer them on at games. Many summers were spent traveling with the Pendleton Swim Association, and Gloria and Roland were board members. Through these activities, they taught their children how important it is to donate their time and fundraise for their groups.

Gloria and Roland had fun taking trips around the world each winter. Angela and Eric loved when they were invited to go with them. Gloria and the kids would also travel to the Oregon Coast, especially Lincoln City, with her sisters and their families in the summer. They would go on long beach walks to talk and look for agates and seashells, then they would play in the ocean and build sandcastles for hours. Eric and Angela have continued the tradition of enjoying their own families, having their children play in multiple sports, traveling with them around the world, donating their time, and fundraising with their different groups.

Gloria enjoyed spending her retirement finishing the daily Sudoku and crossword, watching old westerns and tv shows, taking naps, getting her hair done weekly, and fishing. She also loved spending time with her grandkids. She watched their ball games, worked on puzzles together, supervised swimming in their pool, cut all the fruit for canning and apricot jam, and made them homemade turkey noodle soup. Gloria and Roland moved to Jerome, Idaho in 2022 to live with Angela and her family. She will be greatly missed, especially since we were not expecting her to leave us so soon!

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, Emanuel and Lillie Gomer; her five sisters and brothers-in-law, Marjorie (Harold) Gharring, Shirley (Don) Hunt, Lenta (Jim) Ford, Gracie Monfort, Gladys (Dean) Showers; one brother and sister-in-law, Howard (Joann) Gomer; two nephews; and one niece.

She is survived by her husband, Roland M. Eidam, who called her Glory; two children, Angela (Matt) Chojnacky and Eric Eidam, who called her Mom; five granddaughters, Laney Chojnacky, Emily Chojnacky, Riley Chojnacky, Marisa Eidam, and Maddy Chojnacky, and one grandson, Cameron Eidam, who called her Fuzzy Grandma; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children who called her Aunt Gogo and Gōg.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please spend extra time with your kids and grandkids putting together puzzles and having great conversations.

A graveside service will be held at 1:30 pm Monday, June 23, 2025 at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Caldwell, Idaho.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Gloria's memorial webpage at www.farnsworthmortuary.com.