Rev. Eddie Bone comes from humble beginnings. The youngest of four kids, Eddie attended Franklin Elementary School and lived in the shadow of Academic Hall. As a young boy, Eddie idolized the Golden Eagles Marching Band, and had dreams of attending Southeast Missouri State University one day.
Eddie’s father passed away when Eddie was only 10 years old. His mother, Almeda, worked hard but providing for four children was difficult. The Bone family received commodity food from the government assistance program. Eddie feared that his dream of attending Southeast would be unattainable. “We were poor. My mother worked and made as much as Social Security would allow, but this was far less than what I would need to attend SEMO. Mom went back to work to provide for me. She was a stay-at-home mother who worked hard in our church and was an excellent homemaker,” Eddie said.
In 1980, Eddie’s dream of attending Southeast Missouri State University became a reality. “My mother helped me. She had to work to make ends meet and make a house payment. She was very heroic but my college dream came true because some congressmen and women thought that investing in young people and making college possible for them was the very best thing to do,” Eddie explained. Eddie received financial aid from Pell Grants and student loans. He changed majors three times but graduated with a bachelor of science degree in education, receiving the last Lifetime Teaching Certificate. Eddie then was called to ministry, and graduated with a master of divinity from Eden Theological Seminary in 1993.
Eddie’s time at Southeast impacts his life still today. Eddie credits Dr. Nickell, Dr. Schnell, Dr. Breeze and Dr. Grayson with inspiring him to bring joy and enthusiasm to his sermons. It is this lifelong impact that inspired Eddie to establish the Rev. Miles (Eddie) Bone and Elaine (Jackson) Bone Scholarship. “Knowing that this scholarship will live on in perpetuity is a gift. We will be able to help students long after we are gone,” Eddie said.
Eddie was able to establish this scholarship through careful planning. He gifted a life insurance policy, making a large gift at little cost to him. This deferred gift will leave a powerful legacy and a world of positive difference to future Southeast students. “My wife, Elaine, and I are proud alumni of the best university in the state of Missouri, and are honored and very thankful to help students attend and graduate from the most wonderful university on God’s green earth, Southeast Missouri State University,” Eddie said.
To learn how you can use a life insurance policy, to leave a legacy at Southeast or other ways to support the university, contact Southeast Missouri University Foundation at 573-651-2332 and plannedgiving@semo.edu to learn more.