Amanda Dawson

As her family and friends can surely attest, Amanda Dawson truly understood the secret to a life well lived. She was a constant source of strength for others, even in the most difficult of times, and she was always encouraging and supportive of those around her no matter the circumstances around her. Nothing brought Amanda greater joy than spending time with her loved ones, and even the ordinary moments were extraordinary when spent with her family and friends. She was well known for her strong work ethic and the insatiable zest for life that led her to live each and every day to the fullest. Deeply loved, Amanda will be forever missed by those who knew her best.

During the decade when computers were first becoming part of our homes, there was much to celebrate in the lives of Scott and Donna Dawson as they were eagerly awaited the birth of their new baby while building their forever home all while the beauty of fall unfolded in the city of Galesburg, Michigan, in October of 1987. Their wait was over on October 26th when the baby girl they named Amanda drew her first breath, and with that their lives were never the same.

Growing up, Amanda was a typical young girl of her generation in many ways. She was raised in the family home in the Galesburg area alongside her sister, Alexandra or better known as Ali, who was younger by two-and-a-half years. Amanda was not eager to become a big sister at first because she enjoyed being the center of attention, but she and Ali quickly grew to be very close and would remain good friends throughout their entire lives. Amanda was always a quiet girl and was very well behaved. She fell in love with reading at a young age, and she also loved being outside and fishing with her father at Augusta Creek. Amanda was an accomplished gymnast and trained with Greater World of Gymnastics Kalamazoo. She was an active member for six years until a back injury halted her training. She loved competing and collecting medals as well as being pushed to new levels by her coach, Gus Lipsey. She later took her skills to cheerleading for Galesburg Rocket Football. She prided herself in doing backflips from sideline to sideline during half time. She also enjoyed playing softball where she was a player for Galesburg-Augusta and Eastwood Little League. She loved being a player, spectator, and being in the concession stand at Eastwood taking orders. She was a player on the 2001 Eastwood All Star team that placed second in the State Tournament, and on the 2005 Galesburg-Augusta team that brought home the first district title for the school. She loved to be at the plate with a bat in her hand and training with Kim Worden at Strike One.

Throughout Amanda’s childhood her grandparents on both sides of the family would take her and Ali to live with them for a week at a time. Both sets of her grandparents lived near each other in Au Gres, Michigan, until her father’s parents eventually retired and moved to Beaver Island. While spending time at the house on Beaver Island, Amanda and Ali loved to play outside and build forts and tree houses. They would also make the two-hour bike ride into town to visit the toy store and then call from the grocery store when they were ready to get picked up.

While pursuing her education Amanda attended Galesburg Augusta schools. She was a good student and surrounded herself with many friends. Amanda graduated from high school in 2006 then went on to attend Kellogg Community College pursuing a degree in radiology. She always dreamed of eventually working in the medical field.

New and exciting changes were on the horizon for Amanda as she met the man who would soon become the love of her life. His name was Jacob Eldridge, and the two first met through social media. They had attended the same school but were six years apart. Amanda and Jacob felt an instant connection, and the rest is history as they say. Over the next two years, their friendship continued to grow and blossom into something truly beautiful. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Amanda and Jacob were married on September 26, 2020, at Torch Lake Winery. They enjoyed a reception at Cellars 1914 and then rented an Airbnb for the remainder of the week. Following their wedding, Amanda moved in with Jacob, but they decided to keep her house as a rental property.

All who knew Amanda can surely agree that, of all the things she loved in life, she treasured her family above all else. She was overjoyed to call Jacob’s family her own, and she was a beloved aunt to her nephew, Dawson. Amanda and Dawson were truly best friends. While she battled her cancer, they would cuddle up together and play with the tablet. Amanda would also take Dawson to the zoo or animal parks. They especially loved to read “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” together. Amanda had two dogs, Branch and Hattie, as well. She always considered herself blessed to be surrounded by so many loved ones.

In order to support herself and her loved ones, Amanda was never afraid to work hard. She was employed at Players Grill in Augusta for many years. Amanda also worked as a bank teller while bartending and wait-staffing on the weekends. For the past two years, she worked at Bell's Brewery. Amanda loved her job there and enjoyed working in their community garden. She was a big supporter of the company and thrived in that environment.

Never one to sit still for long, Amanda pursued many hobbies to stay busy in her free time. She had a lifelong love of animals and enjoyed raising bunnies in high school and beekeeping later in life. Amanda was known to binge-watch Netflix shows, and she was an avid fan of various cooking shows. She loved to spend time in the kitchen, trying out new recipes from Pinterest or TikTok so that she could feed her loved ones. Amanda was very frugal and always saved up for big purchases. She bought a ML350 Benz completely with cash, even though she didn’t usually enjoy driving. Amanda and her father would bond while shopping for hours at Horrocks Market, and she loved getting her nails done with her mother. She also liked wine tasting with her mother and sister. In her quiet moments at home, Amanda loved sitting on the deck and watching the wildlife, and especially deer. She was an old soul when it came to her taste in music and enjoyed listening to classic country artists, such as Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, and Merle Haggard. Amanda loved being up North with her family when she ventured further from home. She was known for her beautiful handwriting, and she never liked being alone and preferred to always be surrounded by those she loved.

When reflecting on the life of Amanda Dawson it is easy to see both her unwavering strength and her unconditional love for her family. She was very goal-driven and chased after her dreams, and she was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in. A loving daughter, sister, and wife, Amanda brought joy to those around her. She was always willing to go above and beyond to serve others, and her heart of generosity allowed her to touch countless lives. Though she will be forever missed, Amanda leaves behind a priceless legacy that her loved ones will be proud to carry on in her footsteps.

Amanda was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Harold and Betty Freehling, and paternal grandmother, Laraine Dawson. Surviving are husband of 2 years, Jacob Eldridge; parents: Scott and Donna Dawson; sister Ali (Carl) Getty, and their son Dawson; paternal grandfather Larry Dawson; Jacobs' father Vernon Eldridge “Pa Pa Vern”; and sisters-in-law Bonnie and Trevor Ayers. Memorial donations can be made to the Calhoun Humane Society or Centrica Care Hospice. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday (NOV 12) from 3-5 PM at the Augusta VFW, 13549 W. M-96, Augusta, MI. Please visit Amanda's webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to archive favorite memories, photos, or sign her guestbook. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.