Luella Eckenrod

Luella Eckenrod

Luella M. Eckenrod, 86, of Sumner, died Saturday, January 30, 2016, at her rural Sumner home.

Funeral services will be held 2:30 p.m. Friday, February 5, 2016, at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner, Iowa with Rev. Norman Bauer officiating. Interment will follow at the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, February 4^th at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner and for one hour preceding services at the church on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her name to St. John Lutheran Church, Community Memorial Hospital, and SEMS, all in Sumner.

Luella Mae, daughter of Wesley and Elsie (Oelwein) Sorge, was born January 5, 1930, in New Hampton, Iowa. As a young girl, Luella attended country school in Banks Township and went on to graduate from Sumner High School in 1948. On October 23, 1949, she was united in marriage with Wilbur (Bill) Eckenrod at St. John Lutheran Church. To this union three children were born. The couple first started farming east of Nashua in the Republic area. In 1961, they moved their young family and all their belongings to Luella’s family farm east of Sumner. Luella enjoyed spending thirty winters in Mesa, Arizona, where she was involved in various volunteer activities including the Welcome Committee. She dearly loved her family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Banks Study Club, the Red Hat Society, and enjoyed card playing, square dancing, and traveling. Bill died on June 29, 1994. They were married for forty-four years. On January 2, 1999, she was united in marriage with Robert (Bob) Weltner at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner, Iowa. Bob died on September 21, 2004.

Survivors include two daughters, Joyce Bearman of Ionia, and Kay (Lee) Hilgendorf of Rochester, Minnesota; daughter-in-law, Janet Eckenrod of Sumner; five grandchildren, Billy (Jenni) Bearman, Bruce Bearman, Jim (Amanda) Bearman, Sara (Dean) Koester, and Brian (Ashley) Eckenrod; eleven great-grandchildren; three step-children, Diane (Wendall Kueker) Weltner of Sumner, Dan (Carol) Weltner of Sumner, and Deb (Charles) Clark of Russell; six step-grandchildren, Nathan, Natalie, and Nicholas Weltner, Hunter Clark, Michael (Kelsey) Clark, Steven Clark; and three step-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by her son, Marvin Eckenrod; her son-in-law, David Bearman; infant grandson, Joseph Bearman; and brother, Eugene Sorge.

Leonard and France's Friesen on February 8, 2016 at 8:09 AM said:

We were very fortunate to have Luela as our winter neighbor in Arizona. Such a wonderful person. Loved watching her and Heraldine riding down the street in the golf cart and laughing . Enjoyed visiting with her and will miss her greatly.

Bob Eldridge on February 5, 2016 at 5:54 AM said:

A very lovely lady. Condolences to the the family.

Robert and Betty LanesyDJCG on February 4, 2016 at 3:35 PM said:

We are so sorry for your great loss! Prayers and a hug for each of you!

Leon and Terry Borcherding on February 2, 2016 at 7:31 AM said:

So sorry to hear about Luella. Our thoughts and prayers to the family.

Dorothy & Fran Vogel C5 on February 2, 2016 at 2:08 AM said:

Dear Joyce and family, Luella was our neighbor at Towerpoint and we have missed her smiling friendly face this year. I feel so sad going past her place. Towerpoint cards, Euchre, is not the same without her. I am sure her smile lives on and that she is holding that beautiful smile as our Lord is holding her.

Bob and Vicky Hlubek on February 1, 2016 at 3:35 PM said:

So sorry to learn of Luella's passing. We knew her through Rich and Dody from Towerpoint, and also enjoyed many evenings of playing cards with her. She was such a sweet lady and will be missed. Gods Blessings to you during this difficult time.

Dody & Rich Willhaus on February 1, 2016 at 1:20 PM said:

Our sympathy to family. We were neighbors to Luella in AZ and played card games with her each Sat night. She was a sweet and good friend who will be missed.

Mike & Nancy Petersen on February 1, 2016 at 11:52 AM said:

Our thoughts and prayers are with Luella's family. She was such a lovely person; she will most certainly be missed.

Cheryl Corcoran on February 1, 2016 at 10:16 AM said:

Kay, Dan and Joyce....I was so sad to read about your loss. May God wrap his loving arms around each of you and give you comfort during this time...

Randy and Karen Sinnwell on February 1, 2016 at 8:12 AM said:

Randy and I were so sorry to hear of your sad loss. Thinking of your whole beautiful family and sending our love.

Lynn on February 1, 2016 at 8:10 AM said:

I am so sorry for your loss. Although, I do not know your family personally, I would like to share an encouraging thought from the Bible. The Bible often compares death to sleep. (Psalm 13:3; John 11:11-14; Acts 7:60) A person who is fast asleep is unaware of what is happening around him. Likewise, the dead are not conscious of anything. Yet, the Bible teaches that God can awaken the dead as if from sleep and give them life again. (Job 14:13-15) For those whom God resurrects, death is not the end of everything. Almighty God has promised us everlasting life.

Lynn on February 1, 2016 at 8:07 AM said:

Rod and Beth Wilson on February 1, 2016 at 4:28 AM said:

Joyce we are so very sorry for your families loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Theresa Hake on February 1, 2016 at 3:29 AM said:

I knew Luella as Jim's grandma who came to Jim and Amanda's to help out during Amanda's illness at the same time I was there doing some cleaning. What a thoughtful and friendly lady! She insisted on fixing me a sandwich because she felt I surely must be hungry. Although I had known her only a short time, she seemed to me to be a kind person who devoted her life to helping others and making her world a better place. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends, who will surely miss her sweetness.

Diane & Joe Zabel on January 31, 2016 at 8:45 PM said:

I remember and enjoyed spending long days with Luella at the polling place. We had lots of discussions about different subjects. One time when I rode with her, we brought back a cat for me. I was attempting to keep it in the box so it would ruin Luella's car. She said to let it sit on my lap.

Our prayers and thoughts to the entire family.

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