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May 26, 1935 – April 16, 2022

NATCHEZ – Rosa Lee Eidt (Simonton), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and aunt, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at home in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 16, 2022, after a valiant two-year battle with recurrent cancer.

Born on May 26, 1935, in Gulfport, Mississippi to Henry Edmund Simonton, Sr. and Della Lee Simonton (Biglane), Rosa Lee was a graduate of Cathedral High School and married her high school sweetheart, Clarence Martin Eidt, Jr. on January 26, 1957 at historic St. Mary Cathedral in Natchez, Mississippi.  Together, they raised three loving children in Louisiana (Baton Rouge), Texas (Houston), and New Jersey (Plainfield, Chatham
Township, Far Hills), before retiring to the South Carolina low country and peaceful mountains of North Carolina.

Rosa Lee was the matriarch of our family. She was an unwavering light that drew us to her and an inescapable force that kept us together. She brought color, spice, and laughter to our lives. She was kind, generous, and caring. A devoted wife, proud mother, loving grandmother, dutiful daughter, dedicated sister, and loyal friend — her joy came from serving others.

A convert to Catholicism in her teens, Rosa Lee had a deep and abiding faith, a special devotion to Mary, and great love for the Irish priests and Daughters of Charity, who supported her through her faith formation. In addition to St. Mary in Natchez, she was an active parishioner of St. Thomas More in Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
Corpus Christi in Chatham, New Jersey; and St. Peter in Beaufort, South Carolina; among others.

She loved cooking, entertaining, and shopping; color, jewelry, and Christmas; traveling with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law.  She was a self-taught artist, seamstress, stylist, decorator, landscaper, architect, pharmacist, nurse, and life-coach. She had opinions on everything and shared them with everyone.

She loved playing tennis and golf with her friends, water and snow skiing with her family, and fishing with whomever would take her.  Her favorite shows were the 6 until 9 a.m. shift on The Weather Channel and The Five. She also enjoyed watching sports, especially anything that involved her children and grandchildren, LSU football, college baseball/softball, and professional golf.

Rosa Lee was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Henry Edmund Simonton, Jr. of Arvada, Colorado and John Michael Simonton of Natchez, Mississippi.

She leaves behind her beloved husband of 65 years, Clarence Martin Eidt, Jr. of Charleston, South Carolina; sons, Brian Duncan Eidt and wife, Carol of Okatie, South Carolina and Kevin Edmund Eidt and wife, Kay of Columbia, South Carolina; daughter, Leslie Eidt Hudson and husband, Michael of Aldie, Virginia; sister, Margaret Guido of Natchez, Mississippi; granddaughters Britney, Ashley, Sarah, Jessica, Hannah, Kacey, and Kylee; grandson Aiden; great granddaughter Parker; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends and her devoted springer spaniel, Bentley.

Although our lives will never be the same without her, we are so grateful to have had her for 87 incredible years. It was all a blessing.  It is all grace.

Services are scheduled for Friday April 29, 2022, at Laird Funeral Home in Natchez, Mississippi with a rosary vigil at 5 p.m. in the chapel, followed by visitation with the family from 5 until 8 p.m.  A funeral mass is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at St. Mary Basilica, with Father David O’Connor officiating followed by the Rite of Committal at Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Kids Wish Network.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at lairdfh.com.