In Memory

John Eickelberg

John Eickelberg

Born:  December 30, 1948

Death:  March 10, 1984

Residence: Spokane, WA

Enlistment US Airforce: September 4, 1968

Release: June 9, 1972



 
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03/10/17 10:38 AM #1    

Mark James

One Summer (cerca 1970), while I was attending the UofM, John showed up in Missoula. He had recently been discharged from the Airforce and wanted to spend the Summer in Missoula. We both had a small amount of income, so we pooled our resources and rented a place for the Summer. We had not been all that close in HS, but we both liked to fish! And fish we did! The Blackfoot was really our favorite, but we also fished  the Clark's Fork and some streams connecting some pothole lakes. We just waded in with our jeans and tennis shoes. A few times we floated and fished off of inner tubes. We planned our float, then dropped off John's old SchwInn bicycle at the end point. Then after the float, he would ride back to the beetle. And one time while tubing we got caught in a small logjam, which we survived! A typical day included: sleep until noon, load up our gear in John's Volkswagen Beetle, fish until dark, cook the fish we caught that day and always there was a can of Big John's Beans & Fixins! Yup, that's how two bums spent the Summer. At the end of the Summer, we parted company. John went off to pursue an education (I don't remember where, but most likely in the Spokane area), and I resumed my studies at UofM. We did not keep in touch and I did not hear that he had taken his own life until I attended our 30th reunion. One more memory, John really liked the group Bread. He had some folks that he liked to harmonize with. So when I hear a Bread song on the radio, I remember John. Praying for the progress of your soul John, as you continue your spiritual journey!


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