Richard E Eckert

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Obituary- Eckert, Richard 3

Richard E. “Dick” Eckert
WETMORE - Richard E. “Dick" Eckert, 86, of Holton formerly of Wetmore, KS passed away April 2, 2009 at Ottawa County Health Center in Minneapolis, KS. He was born June 9, 1922 in Arrington, KS, the son of Jacob Richard and Helen Littleton Eckert.
He graduated from Denison High School in 1940. He was mobilized as a Private with the Kansas National Guard in Holton on December 23, 1940. He served with the 11th Airborne Division in the Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan. He remained in active duty until February 1946. He remained active in the National Guard until he went full time in 1963. He attended Washburn University and graduated with an A.B. Degree in Education. He was hired to teach and coach at Netawaka High School in September 1949. He coached boys’ baseball, bas-ketball and girls’ basketball. His boys’ basketball teams went to the State Tournament in 1959, 1960, and 1962.
Richard was promoted to Colonel on July 15, 1971. He was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff-Army-For the Adjutant General Kansas Army National Guard and served that position for 9 years before retirement in December 1980 with 40 years of Active and Reserve service. He was inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate Hall of Fame at Ft. Benning, GA in May 1991 and the Kansas National Guard Hall of Fame in Topeka in November 1991. Dick was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives 60th District in 1982 and was re-elected in 1984, 1986, and 1988.
Dick married Maxine E. Kientz on August 24, 1951. She pre-ceded him in death on November 15, 2008. He was also preceded by a daughter, Connie Dick on May 11, 1994; a son, Gary Rayon January 2, 2000; a sister, Nellie Freed on July 8, 2006. He is sur¬vived by a son, Rick Eckert and his wife, Belinda of Delphos, KS; a daughter-in-law, Kelly Ray of Holton; sisters, Mary Doyle of Holton, KS, Marceline Marinich of Canton, IL, and Marjorie Sage of Olympia, WA; 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Richard was cremated. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton. The family will greet friends from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to the National Guard Museum c/o Mercer Funeral Home, Box 270, Holton, KS 66436. www.mercerfuneralhomes.com.

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