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Benjamin Eckhardt died peacefully Nov. 6 at home in western Nevada County. He was 93.
A celebration of his life will be held in an open house from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 13705 Bitney Springs Road. He will be inurned at the veterans cemetery near Dixon.
Mr. Eckhardt was born Aug. 4, 1916, in Eaton, Colo., the eighth of nine children.
At 21, he moved to Southern California, where he worked and took up archery, shooting his own handmade bows at the San Pedro Archery Club.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a staff sergeant working with heavy artillery in the 278th Ordinance Maintenance Co., and he participated in the invasion of Normandy.
He married Gladys Munning on March 16, 1947, in Wilmington, Calif.
In 1953, they moved to property on Bitney Springs Road, where they turned a cabin into a beautiful home. Mr. Eckhardt did extensive rock work on the house.
He worked with explosives on road construction sites before starting his own business. He and Gladys ran the minnow farm Ponderosa Bait on their property for 16 years while raising their three daughters.
Mr. Echkardt was a pilot and loved to fly his family in his small airplane to their vacation house in Baja California to fish and relax.
After retiring, the couple spent many years traveling to all 50 states, to every province in Canada and to Mexico in their motorhome. He also loved camping and fishing with his family, gardening, rockhounding and lapidary.
He especially enjoyed digging opal from his mining claim in Nevada and making jewelry.
Those who knew Mr. Eckhardt will remember him as a wonderful husband, father and friend, and they will miss his strength, courage and loyalty.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gladys Eckhardt; daughters Diana (John) Lacayo of Priest River, Idaho, Cheryl Patterson of Grass Valley, and Janet (Rob) Balser of Rough and Ready; grandchildren Benjamin, Lindsey, Janell, Stephanie, Kimberly, Krysta, Toby, Dasha, Courtney, Sean, Neysa and Natalie; and brother Albert Eckhardt of Denver.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lassila Funeral Chapels, Auburn.
A celebration of his life will be held in an open house from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 13705 Bitney Springs Road. He will be inurned at the veterans cemetery near Dixon.
Mr. Eckhardt was born Aug. 4, 1916, in Eaton, Colo., the eighth of nine children.
At 21, he moved to Southern California, where he worked and took up archery, shooting his own handmade bows at the San Pedro Archery Club.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a staff sergeant working with heavy artillery in the 278th Ordinance Maintenance Co., and he participated in the invasion of Normandy.
He married Gladys Munning on March 16, 1947, in Wilmington, Calif.
In 1953, they moved to property on Bitney Springs Road, where they turned a cabin into a beautiful home. Mr. Eckhardt did extensive rock work on the house.
He worked with explosives on road construction sites before starting his own business. He and Gladys ran the minnow farm Ponderosa Bait on their property for 16 years while raising their three daughters.
Mr. Echkardt was a pilot and loved to fly his family in his small airplane to their vacation house in Baja California to fish and relax.
After retiring, the couple spent many years traveling to all 50 states, to every province in Canada and to Mexico in their motorhome. He also loved camping and fishing with his family, gardening, rockhounding and lapidary.
He especially enjoyed digging opal from his mining claim in Nevada and making jewelry.
Those who knew Mr. Eckhardt will remember him as a wonderful husband, father and friend, and they will miss his strength, courage and loyalty.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gladys Eckhardt; daughters Diana (John) Lacayo of Priest River, Idaho, Cheryl Patterson of Grass Valley, and Janet (Rob) Balser of Rough and Ready; grandchildren Benjamin, Lindsey, Janell, Stephanie, Kimberly, Krysta, Toby, Dasha, Courtney, Sean, Neysa and Natalie; and brother Albert Eckhardt of Denver.
Memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lassila Funeral Chapels, Auburn.
