James Bruce Eighmey
1939 - 2020
James Bruce Eighmey 80, passed away
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at St. Luke's Hospice House in Kansas City,
Missouri with his son and daughter-in-law at his side. Bruce was the
youngest of 3 sons born to Paul and Myrtle Eighmey on December 23,
1939. He grew up with a love for basketball, played on the high
school team and graduated from Sedgwick High in 1957. He then
attended Parsons Junior College and acquired his Bachelor's and
Master's degrees from the Teacher's College of Emporia. Bruce went on
to share his passion for government and history with hundreds of high
school students throughout his 33 year career at Argentine and J.C.
Harmon High Schools in Kansas City, Kansas.
Some of his proudest achievements would
include working with 'Project Close Up' taking students to Washington
D.C. and attending the Presidential Inaugurations of former
Presidents: Reagan, Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.
Bruce continued to share many tales and fond memories of former
students, some of which serve in government today.
In Bruce's later years, through arduous
and meticulous research, he compiled an historical accounting of the
events that occurred in his lifetime dating back to the early 1950's
and throughout the time period of WWII. Bruce would often refer to
this partial recounting of his life as his "dash project".
By this, he meant to encapsulate the unnoticeable and simple, yet
powerful, "dash" between a person's date of birth and date
of death. This published work is titled, "Winds Over Sand
Creek", and a copy has been placed in the Sedgwick City Library.
Bruce will always be loved and
remembered for his love of the outdoors, his favorite hunting dog
Reo, his love of travel and discovery, and attending KU basketball
games with his son, Brent.
Bruce is survived by his son Brent
(Denise) Eighmey of Tonganoxie, Ks, Niece Jan (John) Conard of
Lawrence, Ks., Great Niece Katie Conard, Great Nephew Spencer Conard,
Nephew Jim (Donna) Eighmey of California, sister-in-law Judith
Eighmey of Lawrence, Ks, grandchildren Terry (Heather) Graves and Joy
(Lance) Hayden, and two Great Grandchildren, Wyatt Graves and Lily
Hayden. Preceding him in death are Bruce's parents; Paul and Myrtle
Eighmey, a brother Paul William "Bill" Eighmey,
sister-in-law, Joan Eighmey, brother Jack Eighmey, and Great Nephew
Aaron Eighmey.
There will be a visitation at Petersen
Funeral Home, 215 North Main Street Newton, Kansas on Monday, August
10th, between 10:00am and Noon. Graveside service will also be on
Monday at 1:30 pm at Hillside Sedgwick Cemetery, Sedgwick Kansas. The
Casket will be open briefly at the cemetery 15 minutes prior to the
service.
