Everett Eugene Eslinger
Everett was born at home in rural Lincoln, Kansas, to Andy Erven and
Mabel May (Titsworth) Eslinger on August 1, 1926. He passed away on
June 28, 2020.
Everett speaks of working from sun-up to sun-down, year-round, on his parent?s farm growing up and into his adult life.
Everett
was a Private First Class in the US Army, he registered on Aug 1st
1944, a Veteran of World War II. On route to being deployed to Saipan,
he spent a week in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he witnessed some of the
aftermath of the destruction after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the
Japanese.
He attended Grace Bible institute in Omaha, Nebraska,
and often served as a substitute minister in local churches. He worked
at several jobs, including a landscaping company in McPherson, Kansas;
at Go Ye Mission in Tahlequah, Oklahoma; and a greenhouse in Lincoln,
Kansas, as well as owning his own lawn mowing business. In 1963,
Everett began working at NCRA (now Cenex Harvest State) in McPherson,
Kansas, and retired after 31 years and 1 month in 1994.
In 1958, Everett married Helen Oneida Hobb from Ash Grove, Kansas. They had one child, Winona Jane.
Oneida died on 27 Sep 1978. Winona Jane died in Houston, Texas, on 2 Jan 2018.
Everett
was an active member of Grace Bible Church in McPherson, Kansas, where
he assisted with many maintenance tasks at the church and mowed the lawn
for many years. He was also an usher.
Everett was also an active
member in the community delivering Meals on Wheels and a member of the
Friends of Maxwell Wildlife Refuge.
Everett?s favorite hobby was
fishing which he enjoyed fishing with his daughter, stepdaughter and
other people in the area. He had quite an extensive tackle box
collection and rods and reels. Everett loved music, especially
religious old-time gospel and had a good collection of records and CDs.
Everett was also known for mischief and his sense of humor.
In
1993, he married Josephine Lucille Frantz Holdeman and continued to live
in Canton, Kansas until 2015 when he and Josie moved to the Cedars
Retirement Community in McPherson due to health problems.
Everett
is survived by his wife, Josie; son-in-law Chris Jungman of Houston,
Texas; step-daughters Glenna Coleman of Independence, Missouri and Susan
(John) Gordon of Nebraska City, Nebraska; step- grandson Nick (Shanna)
Gordon of Omaha, Nebraska and step-granddaughter Kara (Anthony) of San
Diego, California; step-great-grandsons Lochlan Gordon and Gideon Tran;
and niece Marge (Don) Davis of Overland Park, Kansas. He is also
survived by nieces Dorothy (Jerry) McHale; Marjory Bell; Leanna Trim;
Naomi Kutilek; and Sharlene Shaffer; nephews Donald (Judy), Jerry
(Barbara), Marvin (Shirley), and Daniel Hollis; Larry (Lucinda) Cross;
and several grand nieces and grand nephews. Included is special
friends, Mary Jane Lauer and Bernie and Carolyn Rundstrom.
Additionally, he leaves many friends to mourn his loss.
He was
preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Oneida; daughter Winona
Jungman; four brothers Paul Joseph, Cecil Francis, Erven Lavern, Eldon
Clayton and two sisters, Dorothea Violet Hollis and Gladys Irene
Eslinger Cross.
