Eckerman, Ronald Daniel 1942 - 2020
ECKERMAN, KUHN, EIGEN, YARGER, HERRING, GUNZEL, KRAMER, OTIS, LAMFERS
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:26
Formerly of Cresco - Ronald Daniel Eckerman, age 78, died on Dec. 11, 2020, at his home surrounded by family, after an eight-year courageous battle against multiple myeloma.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, a private family service was held on Tuesday at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Waterloo, Iowa with burial in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Cresco. Full military rites will be conducted at the gravesite by Cresco American Legion Post 135, American Legion Riders and VFW Post 4561.
The funeral mass will be live-streamed on the Queen of Peace website, www.queenofpeaceparish.net . Social distancing and face coverings are required. Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on South Street is in charge of arrangements.
Ronald was born in Cresco, Iowa on Aug. 1, 1942 to Donald and Marybelle Eckerman, the second oldest of 11 children. He grew up on a farm west of Cresco and attended the nearby one-room country school, Saratoga #6. He graduated from Notre Dame High School in Cresco in 1960 and earned a BA in Business from the University of Northern Iowa.
Ron served in the U.S. Army, with stations in Hawaii and Laos. He married Carol (Kuhn) on July 23, 1966, the beginning of 54 years of partnership and laughter. His career at John Deere began in 1960. Most of the years were spent as a supervisor at the Engine Works, where he was known as “The Silver Fox,” and he retired in 2001.
Ron was incredibly hard-working and fiercely independent. He would never hire someone to do something that he could do himself. He was known for a sharp sense of humor and detailed story-telling, often interrupted by his own laughter. He could frequently be found at home riding or repairing his tractors or tinkering with a fix-it project. A farmer at heart, he could never have too many trees, plants or flowers.
Ron loved Buddy Holly, Mustangs, Civil War history, ice cream and a good, hot cup of coffee. Most of all, he loved his family unconditionally and served as a rock of stability and support for each of his family members.
He leaves his wife, Carol; daughter, Lori (Tony) Eigen, and her children Amelia and Sophia of Oak Park, Ill.; daughter, Julia Eckerman and her children, Haley Eckerman of Stephenville, Texas and Aleah Eckerman of Waterloo, Iowa; son, Jeff Eckerman of Las Vegas, Nev.; and daughter, Jennifer (Steven) Yarger and children, Leo and William Ronald, all of San Francisco, Calif.; great-grandsons, Cayden and Damion; four brothers, Mike (Gail) Eckerman of Rochester, Minn., Terry Eckerman of Cresco, Leo Eckerman of Chetek, Wis. and Joe (Joyce) Eckerman of O’Fallon, Ill.; and four sisters, Jean (Gene) Herring of Marion, Iowa, Ann (Mike) Gunzel of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Joan (Michael) Kramer of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mary (Mike) Otis of Polk City, Iowa and Cynthia (David) Lamfers of Des Moines, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Cedar Valley Hospice (https://www.cvhospice.org/get-involved/donate), the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (https://the mmrf.org) or the Mayo Clinic for cancer research (https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC).Source: Cresco Times Dec. 17, 2020
Calvary Cresco Cemetery
Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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