Eldeen Gifford:
CLASS OF 1972
Shaker High SchoolClass of 1972
Latham, NY
Austin School of Beauty CultureClass of 1974
Albany, NY
Southgate Elementary SchoolClass of 1966
Loudonville, NY
Shenendehowa Elementary SchoolClass of 1964
Clifton, NY
Eldeen's Story
Life-2005
Life has changed in the past year, on Feb. 18, 2005, I was diagnosed with Acute Mylocetic Leukemia. Was in and out of Albany Med. Had chemo, went from long hair, to Kojack, to crewcut. I take one day at a time. Besides I'm not ready for a dirt nap just yet! Still married to the love of my life and my rock, Jim
Gifford, it will be 24 years in Sept. No children, but have 14 great-neices and nephews and two great-great neices. My brother, Paul or (Tater) Shaker class of 1978 was killed in May 1991 in a motorcycle accident. That is still harder to deal with than the leukemia. Gone to a few Class reunions and it was great seeing all that was there, even though we have lost a few more of our classmates. Will keep you updated.
Life-2011 Update
Life has once again changed, my mom passed away on August 18th, she lived with my husband, Jim and I since Jan.
She was 92, would have been 93 on Oct. 1st. Jim and I will be married 29 years on 9/18. Now have 6 great-great neices and nephews, damn, getting old. Also was diagnosed with a lipoma brain tumor last year, just going to keep watch of it. Will keep you updated.
Life 2011-2025 Update
Been awhile since I’ve updated my life. Mostly sounds like the same old thing
illness, loss and not much else! After I updated in 2011, then in February 2012 my Leukemia came back spent seven weeks in Albany Medical Center and back to the Kojack look, lol. Took longer to recover after I left the hospital.
Couldn’t walk very good, walker at home with my husband’s help, when he was working nights my childhood friend would come and stay until my husband came home and had to use a wheelchair when we went out shopping. It was a long haul. In 2013, I was signed up for a new treatment, a Stem Cell Transplant using your own stem cell’s. Went to Dana Farber in Boston, was tested there but would have to stay there for treatment for over a month. Albany Med was just starting to do the Transplant’s there so I chose to have it done there, back to the Kojack look! Had to be at the hospital everyday at 8:00am. Go home with IV’s and other things, n...Expand for more
ever was so tired as I was then. Still go to my Hematologist every three month’s for bloodwork and one special test that need’s to be sent away which takes about a week. So far so good.
On the loss side, since my Mom in 2011, I have lost family and friend’s. In 2016, lost my Sister-In-Law, Marie, my 2nd brother Ron’s wife. 2018 a very dear friend, Mary passed, in August 2019, my second brother, Ron passed suddenly. Then Pandemic hit, lost some more family and friend’s. In 2017, my husband, Jim, had a heart attack and quadruple bypass. He decided to retire from truck driving, he achieved three million miles of driving with no accident’s or ticket’s. Now he help’s out on his brother’s farm, bowl’s one night a week, play’s Bingo twice a week and one extra Bingo a month. In March 2024, went to hospital for a test ordered by my Cardiologist, started
the test on a Friday they kept me in and on Monday did a double Cardiac Bypass, including the Widow Maker the main artery too the heart, which was almost completely blocked and the other over 90%. Trouble was I didn’t feel bad. So 2025 began and on February 18th called my oldest brother, Dutch
about 9:30pm in Florida and talked to him about twenty minutes and got a call from my Sister-In-Law, Marion early in morning, saying my brother had a massive brain bleed right after they went to bed took him to the hospital and put him on a ventilator, he was taken off and he passed away. Very hard spring. We live one house away from each other. Have one brother left, my
third brother, Bill.
Jim and I will celebrate our 43rd anniversary in September, he also just celebrated his 70th birthday 🎂 in April. Have a few more great great niece’s and nephew’s to add to the family tree. I belong to the Rensselaerville Battalion to our Fire Company and for the past fifteen year’s Jimmy and I have played Santa and Mrs. Claus. We enjoy seeing the kids as they get older.
Love going to the Shaker get together’s and reminiscing with friend’s and new friend’s made.
Update hopefully not as long as it took me for this one. Take care and be safe.🙏🙏🙏
Register for Free to view all details!
Reunions
Register for Free to view all events!
Photos
Register for Free to view all photos!