Edith L. Atchison-Bloxam (Hodges)

Edith L. Atchison-Bloxam (Hodges) was delivered into this world by a midwife on November 18, 1926. The daughter of Frank and Marie (Griggs) Grey. She received her elementary and high school education in Streator, IL. Edith has always talked fondly of her memories of growing up on her family farm. She met her husband Warren Atchison when he came to the farm to help with the farm harvest in 1944. They were married the following Spring, their marriage tragically ended when Warren was killed in an accident the Winter of 1951. They were the parents of three children, Warren Jr (1946), Cliff (1948), and Cathy (1950).

The next chapter of Edith’s life was that of a single mother raising three children by herself. She demonstrated her resilience and determination when she found a job working as a telephone operator in Dwight, IL. She worked for Illinois Bell then AT&T for the next 26 years. She was promoted to Group Chief Operator and worked in Joliet and then Morris until retiring in 1978.

Edith also found new happiness in 1976, when she married Wayne Bloxam. She enjoyed being a housewife and inheriting an extended family of Wayne’s five children. They both soon retired and became “snowbirds” by living between Florida and Illinois. They enjoyed bowling, golfing, and spending time with their combined family of children and grandchildren. They permanently moved to Florida in 1980. Wayne sadly died of cancer in 1996.

For the next 16 years Edith lived in Mt. Home, Arkansas. She continued to enjoy golfing, gardening, and bowling. She also traveled to Europe several times. She remained involved with her extended family and visited Illinois, Florida, and Utah. She suffered a great loss when her eldest son Warren died of cancer in 2007.

The last 10 years she lived with her daughter in Illinois up until last Fall where she had been driving, gardening, going to the YMCA and of course bowling. Her most recent loss was her son Cliff to traumatic brain injury in 2020. She recently commented “Its not easy being 98 years old.” Her determination and resilience helped her to continue her annual climb to the top of Starved Rock. She was also very proud of becoming a great-great grandmother, in which she loved the five-generation pictures. Sadly, this last Fall her physical and mental health began to decline. She became the victim of Alzheimer’s and died June 21, 2025.

She is survived by daughter, Cathy Eggenberger; daughter-in-law, Debra Atchison; grandchildren, Sean Eggenberger (Kristi), Tina Brown (Eggenberger), Douglas Atchison (Kara), Daniel Atchison, LaRae Magnus (Atchison), Amy Atchison, Jamie Atchison, Brad Atchison, and Christina Atchison; great-grandchildren, Luke Eggenberger (Taylor), Chris Iteen, Michael Brown, Desirae Brown, Darcy Atchison, Fiona Atchison, and Carli Wrobel; and great-great grandchildren , Laine and Benjamin Eggenberger and Carter Wrobel.

Visitation will be held at 2:00-3:30 pm on Friday, July 11, 2025 at Burkhart-Eighner Funeral Home in Sandwich, IL. Burial will be private in Blackstone, IL. Memorials may be directed to the ASPCA https://secure.aspca.org or Make-A-Wish https://www.wish.org For more information or to sign the online guestbook please visit www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com

Burkhart-Eighner Funeral Home

606 E. Arnold Rd

Sandwich, IL 60548

(815) 786-2165