Delana Eid

Delana Rose Eid

Delana Rose Eid, 90, passed away at her home in Bloomington, Indiana, on Monday, August 26, 2024. She was a beloved Mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter, niece, friend, neighbor, and more.

Delana was born to Jennings and Mary Morrow on November 26, 1933, in Keno, Kentucky, where she spent much of her early childhood. After WWII, the Morrows joined many other families who were moving north to find work in factories. Young Delana and her excited friends sang, “New tissle, new tassle, we’re all moving to New Castle!”

In New Castle, Indiana, the Morrow family grew to include Delana’s brother and sisters: Edwin, Janis, and Faye. They moved back to Kentucky, where Delana attended high school. Some years later, while visiting a cousin in Indianapolis, Delana met Mikel J. Eid, an Indianapolis native. The two married in 1953 at St. George Orthodox Church in Indianapolis and soon moved to Rantoul, Illinois, where Mikel was stationed in the Air Force. There, they had their first child, Mikel Stephen, then moved back to Indianapolis. By 1960, they had two more children: Carol and Ron.

But the Eid family didn’t stay long in Indianapolis. They moved over the next several years to Terre Haute, to Kokomo, and back to Terre Haute before returning to Indianapolis in 1968. While her husband worked in the bakery business, Delana raised her children and became active in church and school organizations. She was a member of the church choir and the Lady’s Aid Society and was a Girl Scouts leader. All the while she shuttled her and her neighbors’ kids to and from various after-school functions.

Whatever activities Delana became involved in, she did them with care and passion and the intention of helping others.

Delana — or “Elaine,” as many people in Indianapolis called her — made friends wherever she went. While helping others prepare food for church events or family functions, Delana learned the art of cooking Syrian food. She hosted large gatherings for Sunday dinners and special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Thanksgiving dinners prepared by her and other relatives became legendary. At other times, whenever her children’s friends visited, she made them feel at home, often with a home-cooked meal.

After Delana and Mikel divorced in 1984, she moved back to New Castle to be closer to her brother and sisters and their families. Delana loved having her grandkids visit with their friends for sleepovers, no matter how many friends they brought. “The more the merrier” was how she saw it.

Among Delana’s many hobbies were gardening, quilting, and reading. When she relocated to Bloomington, Indiana, her children joked that they couldn’t keep her supplied with enough books because she read them so fast. She especially liked mysteries and biographies. She knew so much about Queen Victoria that she would fact-check documentaries based on the royals. Like her father, Jennings, who had taken up oil painting during his retirement years, Delana kept busy in her retirement with several hobbies, such as working on arts and crafts and singing in a Bloomington choir called Songs of Joy.

Family was the most important part of Delana’s life. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Jennings and Mary Morrow, her brother Edwin Morrow, and sisters Janis Maple and Faye Marcum. Delana loved her nieces and nephews and their spouses as her own children. She is survived by many of them, as well as by her son Mikel and his wife Cheri, daughter Carol Stevens and husband Jeff, son Ron, and grandchildren Kate (Ian) Sharer, Greg (Lindsey) Eid, Amanda (Josh) Zurawski, Sadie (Scott) Neale, Sophie (Zach) Clark, and the absolute joys of her life, her wonderful great-grandchildren: Meredith, Julia, Cooper, Beckett, Payton, Piper, Eleanor, and Amelia. As her first grandchild, Kate, said, “She always lit up around the grandkids and great-grandkids.”

Delana was active until the end. During her last week she went to her great-granddaughter Eleanor’s birthday party, attended a play, took a shopping trip, and had lunch in Indianapolis with friends from church. She was caring and generous to everyone. “Lovely” and “kind” are the words often used to describe her. Her smile lit up a room, and she loved to laugh. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her but especially by her family. Delana’s spirit lives on, in the memories of her tender, loving nature. 

May she find eternal peace with her dearly departed loved ones in God’s heavenly kingdom.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of your choice.

Services for Delana will be held at 1:00 PM Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service in New Castle, IN. With a visitation from 11:00 AM until the start of the service. You may express condolences or share memories of Delana at www.hinsey-brown.com.