Agnes Eileen Hinrichsen 1928 - 2006

HINRICHSEN, HARTIGAN, ECKHOFF

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-volunteer (email)
Date: 10/24/2017 at 08:50:44

Sioux City Journal
12 December 2006

UTE, Iowa -- Agnes Eileen Hinrichsen of Ute died Friday, Dec. 8, 2006, at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Mapleton, Iowa, with the Rev. Bob Fritzmeier officiating. Burial will be in St. Clair Cemetery, Ute. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Armstrong Funeral Home in Ute.

Eileen was born May 1, 1928, in Jefferson City, Mo., to Lawrence and Catherine (Hartigan) Eckhoff. Although the family moved to the Ute area when she was just a baby, she always reminded us on our many trips to Kansas City and Branson, Mo., how much better the air smelled as soon as we crossed the state line into Missouri. "Breathe that good Missouri air" became the family quote.

She graduated from Ute High School in Ute. She married John Christian Hinrichsen on Nov. 9, 1947. They had one daughter, Betty Lou. As a young wife and mother, she left her own family to follow John through 22 years of military service. The three of them lived in and traveled to many parts of the United State and Europe. Whenever they traveled, John always got her up to watch the sunrise. She saw the sun rise over the Grand Canal and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, the Matterhorn in Switzerland, Neuschswanstein Castle in Bavaria and the Grand Canyon just to name a few. She was a proud American and next to her family, loved her country and flag.

She loved to bowl and won many trophies. She was a champion ladies skeet shooter. She loved playing cards and watching sports. She was a 50 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of Order of the Eastern Star Queen Esther, a former member of the Ute city council, Ute Library board and the Ute Town and Country. She owned and operated the Ute Variety Store for a number of years and worked many years at the Ute Dairy Treet. She volunteered at the Charter Oak-Ute Elementary School. She was a friend to all, always willing to help and always had a good word or friendly smile for everyone.

But the greatest joys of her life were her two granddaughters, Amanda and BriAnna. She was "Boppi" and "Grandma". She was immensely proud of them and never missed any of their activities, where she would tell EVERYONE, "That's my granddaughter"! She was the team Grandma. She cherished her great-granddaughter and was looking forward to a second great-grandchild in March.

She is watching over her survivors, a daughter and her husband, Betty Lou and Randy Olson of Ute; her granddaughters, Amanda John (Derick) Bruhn of Schleswig, Iowa, and BriAnna Leigh Olson of West Des Moines; a great-granddaughter, Kaitlyn Gale Bruhn of Schleswig, Iowa; a special friend of many years, Lowell "Bud" Carstens of Ute; two brothers, Ronald (Betti) Eckhoff of Banning, Calif., and Phil (Maureen) Eckhoff of Orlando, Fla.; four sisters, Janice Rippentrop of New Berlin, N.Y., Jerri (Louis) Matt of Lee's Summit, Mo., Bonnie (Dale) McAninch of Murray, Iowa, and Shirley Watson of Missouri Valley, Iowa; two brothers-in-law, Bob Hinrichsen and Lloyd (Loretta) Hinrichsen, all of Ute; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Maj. John Christian Hinrichsen on Nov. 7, 1973; her parents; a nephew; and a niece.