Earl Edward Eckmann died peacefully in Harlan, IA at the age of 87 years.
Earl is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marian (Anderson) Eckmann; his daughter Beverly (Larry) Shriver of Underwood and his son Calvin (Karen Siebels) of Persia; three sisters: Dorothy Eckmann of Harlan; Lavina Glotfelty of Davenport and Martha Eckmann of Omaha, Ne. He has four grandchildren: Matthew (Karen) Shriver of Boone; Megan (Drew) Angotti of Des Moines; Cameron (Ashlie) Eckmann of Persia and Callyn Eckmann of Lawrence, Ks.; and two great-grandchildren: Phinehas and Gideon Shriver of Boone. He is preceded in death by his parents: George and Alma (Meier) Eckmann and his brothers Melvin and Herb Eckmann.
Earl was one of six children born on the Eckmann family farm in Persia. He attended the Persia Country School and graduated from Persia High School in 1950. After high school, Earl went to work for Orchard & Wilhelm in Omaha moving furniture, then joined Henningsen Construction Co. in Atlantic. Picking up his final paycheck before deploying to the Korean War, Earl met the young bookkeeper and love of his life, Marian Anderson. He was deployed with the US Army and served in the Korean War from 1952-1954 as a corporal in the intelligence division. Upon returning from his tour, Earl and Marian married on September 4, 1955, moving to Persia where they would build their family and Eckmann Farms for the next six decades.
Earl spent more than 40 years actively farming with his son, Calvin, and grandson, Cameron. He loved his Hereford cattle and was very proud of the farming operation they have built. He was an active and dedicated member of the St John’s Lutheran Church in Persia, serving as a board member and church leader for several decades. He was especially proud of his role in helping to build a strong church community and loved to share the story of how he carried the Bible from the old church location to mark the opening of the new church.
Quick to make a friend, Earl was the best visitor over a cup of coffee and would never turn down a cookie, brownie or any sweet. He loved baseball and the NY Yankees! He coached little league baseball in Persia and actively followed his grandkids to ball games of all sorts for many years, cheering for the Underwood Eagles and TC Trojans. Earl and Marian spent several winters taking their trailer to FL, AZ and TX to escape the Iowa winters. They made some lifelong friends on these trips. When the grandkids came along, he would pick a location each summer and take them on camping trips to local lakes to ride bikes, fish and cook outside.
Family visitation will be held Monday, March 9, 2020 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan. A funeral is scheduled for 10:30 AM on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Persia, with a reception to follow at Minden Legion Hall. Pastor Wanda Biel will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Earl’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Milford, Iowa. The family would also like to thank the caregivers and hospice team at Elmcrest Memory Unit, Harlan for their compassionate care.
