Eldon Schall Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Eldon Schall, age 83, of Kearney, formerly of Litchfield, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 11, 2022, at his home surrounded by his family. Friends and family are invited to attend his graveside services at 10:30 a.m., Friday, August 12, 2022 at the Litchfield Cemetery with Chaplain Steve Shanno officiating. A luncheon will follow the services at the Litchfield Community Building. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated later. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements. Eldon was born on August 13, 1938, at his parent’s home in Custer County to James Orville Schall and Olive Ida (Crosley). Eldon grew up in the Basin Community, outside of Mason City, attending the Basin School as a youngster and then graduating from Mason City High School in 1957. Following high school, Eldon attended the National Vocational Tech School in Milford, NE, graduating in 1959 with a degree in Auto Mechanics and attended the General Motors Auto Mechanics Training Program. Eldon was married to Karen Sweley on October 30, 1960, and the couple had three children, Annette, Eddie, and Hope. Eldon lived his entire life in Central Nebraska (namely, Mason City, Broken Bow, and Grand Island) but lived the longest and most recently in Litchfield, which was his home for over 50 years. Eldon worked most of his life as an auto mechanic, including working at an auto dealership, a trucking company, and operating his own gas station for a time. His last job was at the Sherman County Roads Department, where he worked for over 23 years, finally retiring in 2009. Eldon also helped out friends and relatives with carpentry, car repairs, and other small projects. Wherever he worked, Eldon was known as a diligent hard worker who was constantly on the move and always willing to pitch in to get the job done. Eldon enjoyed many hobbies over his lifetime. His love of cars certainly defined his career path, but he also enjoyed reading Western books and any newspaper he could get his hands on, fishing, Nebraska football, daily visits from friends and family, and collecting whatever caught his eye (in particular, Western and Native American artwork and artifacts and an extensive collection of Country Western vinyl records). Eldon loved to vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a trip he usually made multiple times a year. He was particularly fond of the Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer, SD. He first began participating in the annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch hike in 1997 and continued to make the 6.2 mile trek up the mountain for the next 17 years, a tradition that he has passed on to his friends and family. Eldon will be missed and is survived by his wife, Karen Schall of Kearney; his daughter Annette Goodner and her husband Greg of Kearney and his daughter Hope Schall and her husband Craig Forbes of Cincinnati, OH; his four grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his siblings, Lyle Schall and his wife Kay of Broken Bow, and Phyllis Baltz and her husband Dale of Loup City; his sister-in-law Sandy (Robert) Schall; and numerous nieces and nephews. Eldon was proceeded in death by his parents, James and Olive Schall, his son, Eddie Schall, and his siblings, Larry Schall, Kenneth Schall, Dorothy Adams, Norman Schall, Robert Schall, and Dale Schall.

Tributes

Eldon Schall

August 13, 1938 - July 11, 2022