Brian J. ECKHOFF

ECKHOFF, PAYER, MATHIASON, GRZYVACZ, BOELMAN, BEAVERS, ROLLEFSON, WILKINSON, LANG, SANTOS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/18/2013 at 15:03:58

February 21, 1974 ---- May 15, 2013

Belmond — Brian J. Eckhoff, 39, of Belmond, Iowa, died Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at his home, due to complications of heart disease and diabetes. A Mass of Christian Burial for Brian Eckhoff will be held at 10:30 a.m. today, Saturday, May 18, at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 1207 Third Street N.E. in Belmond. The Rev. Nils Hernandez will officiate. Burial will take place in the St. Francis Cemetery near Belmond. A visitation was held on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick’s Lane South in Belmond, and continue one hour prior to services at the church today. A Parish Rosary was held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Dugger Funeral Home.

Brian, the son of Jim and Connie (Payer) Eckhoff was born on February 21, 1974, in Minneapolis, Minn. He moved with his family to Belmond, in January, 1975. He attended school in Belmond and graduated from Belmond-Klemme High School in 1992. He then attended Iowa Central Community College and North Iowa Area Community College, graduating in 1994 with an A.A. degree. During his school years he loved sports, including track, football, cross country and baseball, but his favorite sport was wrestling. He received sixth place at the state of Iowa wrestling tournament in 1991. Brian also attained his Eagle Scout rank during his high school years. His project was making a directory and signs for the Belmond Community Apartments, Inc., where his mom worked. Those are still in place and used today. In August of 1991, he earned a scholarship from Eaton Corp, in which he went to Brazil for three months as a foreign exchange student. He stayed with the dos Santos family. In his adult life he worked as a salesman, low-voltage electrician, and cabinet finisher, until three and a half years ago when his health prevented him from working. At that time he became a stay-at-home-dad to his son, Ben.

Brian married Jen Mathiason in January 2005. To this union Benjamin Brian was born. Family was very important to Brian. He loved all of his family very much and would do anything he could for them. He was extremely proud of his seven-year-old son, Ben. Brian is survived by his son, Ben of Belmond; parents, Jim and Connie Eckhoff of Meservey; his wife, Jen Mathiason of Mason City; his sister Kimberly Grzywacz (John) of Huxley; his paternal grandparents, Rich and Bonnie Eckhoff of Belmond; his uncles, Dave Boelman, Jon Eckhoff (Dawn), Steve Payer (Lynda), Rick Payer (Laura); nieces, Danielle Wilkinson, Emily Grzywacz; nephews, Jeremiah Wilkinson, Jonah Grzywacz, Jeremy Grzywacz; cousins, Andrew Beavers (Kjersti), Lindsay Rollefson (Scott), Jonathon Payer (Katterine), Brandon Boelman (Val), Grant Eckhoff, Emily Eckhoff; his parents-in-law, Glen and Patti Mathiason of Walnut Grove, Minn.; brother-in-law, Paul (Angela) of Sioux Falls, S.D.; his foreign exchange brothers, Dr. Markus Lang of Germany and Dr. Sergio Ricardo Santos of Brazil, and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jerry and Bernice Payer; aunt, Julie Boelman; and infant cousin, T. J. Payer.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
May 18, 2013