Naomi was born 11 Oct 1884 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, the last child of Bowman Henry and Margaret DRUMGOOLE ELDRIDGE.

In 1903 she eloped with Clinton Oliver Martin to Peoria, Illinois where on 20 Oct 1903 at the home of Bishop Spaulding, they were married. Clinton was born 8 July 1872 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania son of John H. and Rachel POOL MARTIN. The marriage license states that Naomi was 19 years-of-age, while Clinton was 28 years old. [1880 census Clinton was 8 yo. My source said 1876]

This article appeared in the Davenport Democrat newspaper 25 Oct 1903, p 14.
A Happy Conclusion of a Local Romance
A Marriage of Six Months Ago Made Known

Clint MARTIN and Miss Naomi ELDRIDGE Announce Their Wedding in Peoria Last May After a Period of Painful Suspense and Opposition

An interesting romance was made public in this city Saturday, and caused a gentle flutter of interest in the vicinity of a good many friends of the principal figures in the case.

Early in the season friendship that had existed between Clint MARTIN, the left fielder of the Davenport baseball team, and Miss Naomi ELDRIDGE, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bowman H. ELDRIDGE advanced to the more intimate stage of an engagement of marriage, but there it encountered the unyielding opposition of the girl's parents. They objected on the ground that she was too young to assume the responsibilities of her own home, being not yet out of her teens. She declined to surrender her lover, and her parents refused to sanction her marriage, and there the matter hung.

It was in the person of James DRUMGOOLE, uncle of the bride, became interested. His niece confided her troubles to him, and assured him that marry she would; with parental consent of that could be had, without if it could not be got. If the opposition did not cease to bar the way to her happiness, she would elope with her lover and be married regardless.

Mr. DRUMGOOLE saw that it was time for making the best of the situation, so he held a council of the young people and told them that if they were bound to commit matrimony, they should do it in the proper way. He is a traveling man and was about to make a trip into Indiana, and he advised them to run over to Peoria with him on his way to the Hoosier state, and have the ceremony done in the right way. And this was what they did. The ceremony was performed at Peoria, May 4, at the home of the Right Reverend John SPAULDING, bishop of the diocese of Peoria. The officiating clergyman was Rev. Father BURKE. Mr. DRUMGOOLE was the witness and attendant.

After the marriage, the couple returned to this city, the bride to her parents' home, the groom to his quarters as a member of the Davenport ball team. The marriage was kept a secret by them. They were so circuspect in their meetings that no inkling of their new relation was gathered by their relatives and friends, and their good uncle kept his own counsel. Probably time never seemed to drag as it did then, for either of the young people. They both stood the ordeal well until Mrs. ELDRIDGE discovered the truth about two weeks ago.

Coming up behind her daughter one day, about that time, she found Naomi gazing fondly at a ring worn on one of her lily fingers. It was in the place where a wedding ring is worn. The girl equivocated, when an explanation was demanded, to the extent of saying that it was her engagement ring, but when her mother wanted to know why, she wore it as a badge of wifehood, she was unable longer to contain the secret and confessed.

Just what happened then belongs to the private history of the ELDRIDGE family, and is the business of nobody else, but it is the understanding tht the parents received the announcement as a good deal of a shock. For the past two weeks, it is believed the young wife has not been thehappiest of women. But Saturday teh good uncle came on the scene again, having returned from a trip among his trade, and under his arguments and persuasions, a truce was reached. The parents agreed to do the sensible thing and take the young people in, and let the news be given out. Under the new management, Mr. and Mrs. MARTIN will make their home with Mr. and Mrs. ELDRIDGE at 424 W. 5th St. and peace will hover over the scene and the hateful secrecy and separation be at an end.

The groom in this interesting affair is an employee of the Arsenal, where he has been working ever since the ball team disbanded. He is a steady young man and is regarded as worthy of teh confidence of the young lady who has entrusted him with her future. He takes his responsibility with a proper degree of seriousness, and whether he plays ball for Davenport next year or not, he is to be congratulated on his last and best home run of this season."

The marriage did not last, for on 16 Dec 1908 p. 7 of the Davenport Democrat was printed:

"J.P. DRUMGOOLE of this city has just received a communication from a friend in Frankfurt, Pennsylvania, conveying the sad intelligence of the death of Clinton O. MARTIN who is well known in this city. Mr. MARTIN was engaged about five years ago as an outfielder on the Davenport Baseball Club on the Three I League and also played with Rock Island and Decatur and Bloomington. He was married in this city six years ago to Miss Naomi ELDRIDGE, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. ELDRIDGE. He is survived by wife and two children.

[1 Margaret Rachel born 3 Mar 1904 in Davenport. She died in childhood.
2 Naomi Catherine born 25 Jun 1905 in Davenport, married Joe D. DEEN, who was employed at the Lunex Co. in Davenport. Naomi died 7 Jan 1974 in Davenport and is buried in Davenport's Mt. Calvary Cemetery.]

On 9 Feb 1912 at St. Anthony's Chapel, Davenport, Naomi ELDRIDGE MARTIN became the second wife of Alfred Vincent MILLER. He was born 20 Aug 1883 in LaPointe City, Black Hawk, Iowa, son of Jacob MILLER, (no mother).

Alfred died 17 May 1963 in Davenport; he had worked as a boilermaker for the Rock Island Railroad fr 36 years before he retired in 1947. He had 1 dtr by his first marriage, Elizabeth MILLER.

Naomi lived with her parents and brother, Nathaniel, before she married Alfred at 424 W. 5th St. and gave piano lessons. In 1963 she retired after working for 26 years for the Physicians and Surgeons Exchange in Davenport. Naomi died 7 Feb 1967 in Davenport andis buried with her husband, Alfred in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. They were members of Sacred Heart Cathedral.