Eldon Eugene Rieckhoff, age 89, of Hughesville, passed away Friday, October 22, 2021, at Bothwell Regional Health Center.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 27, at Heckart Funeral Home in Sedalia, with Moses Yoder officiating. Burial, with military honors by the U.S. Army and VFW Post 2591, will follow at La Monte Cemetery,. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 26, at Heckart Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to Bethel United Methodist Church or Show-Me Christian Youth Home.
Born July 3, 1932, in Dover, Lafayette County, he was one of three children of H.J. and Lillie O. (Dallman) Rieckhoff.
Eldon attended Bleak Mound School during his elementary years and was a 1950 graduate of La Monte High School.
He served in the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean Conflict as a military police officer in Japan.
On March 6, 1955, at Epworth United Methodist Church, he was united in marriage to Patricia Ann (Green), who preceded him in death on June 2, 2020. This union was blessed with three sons.
Eldon farmed his whole life in Pettis County with his wife of 65 years. He was a 4-H Horsemanship leader, founding member of the La Monte Junior Rodeo Club, and served on the La Monte School Board where he was past president. In his younger years he was an avid hunter. He loved his horses and his hounds.
He was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Mark (Stacy) Rieckhoff, of Houstonia, Dwayne (Cindy) Rieckhoff, of Windsor, and Paul (Samantha) Rieckhoff, of Hughesville; 10 grandchildren, Kendra (Brandon) Krapfl, of Moberly, Kaitlin Ann Rieckhoff, of Windsor, Austin Eugene Rieckhoff, of Houstonia, Emalea Rieckhoff, of Memphis, TN, Logan (Rachelle) Rieckhoff, of La Monte, Shane Rieckhoff, of Hughesville, Theodore Rieckhoff, of Windsor, Cody (Alayna) Parrott, of Knob Noster, Caleb Divine, of Windsor and Lane Divine, of Windsor; four great-grandchildren, Brooke Mary Rieckhoff, Ella Parrott, Kennedy Jo Krapfl and Luke Parrott; a sister, Dorothy Sparks, of La Monte; three nieces, Charla (Alvin) Jording, of La Monte, Debbie (Jeff) Brown, of Chattanooga, TN, and LeaAnne (Larry) Bell, of Green Ridge; and two nephews, Gordon (Kay) Sparks, of La Monte and Scott (Kim) Rieckhoff, of Hughesville.
In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Wayne Rieckhoff; niece, Stacy Davis; sisters-in-law, Beverly Sue Pace and Scotty Scotten; and brothers-in-law, Charles Sparks and Coleman Pace.