Norris Ecklund, 78 - March 06, 2012

Norris L. Ecklund, 78, of Gothenburg died Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
A visitation will take place at Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel at Gothenburg on Saturday, March 10, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, March 11, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Services will be conducted at the American Lutheran Church on Monday, March 12, at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Matthew Groenke and Lonna Grabenstein, PMA, officiating.
Interment will follow at the Cozad Cemetery.
Ecklund was born Oct. 5, 1933, at Smithfield, son of Carl and Osa (Butts) Ecklund. He grew up in Elwood and graduated from Elwood High School in 1951.
He attended the University of Nebraska and graduated in 1956 with at bachelor’s degree in education.
Ecklund married Carole Timm of Eustis in 1956. To this union, three children were born. His wife preceded him in death in April of 1986.
He served with the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958. After his discharge, he and his wife resided at Hildreth where they taught school from 1958 to 1963.
Ecklund began working towards his master’s degree in educational administration at Kearney State College, graduating in 1966. He became the junior high principal in Cozad until 1976.
After leaving the school system, he was engaged in a farming operation with a brother-in-law, and also worked in the customer relations department of what was the O.A. Cooper Company, retiring in 1995.
He married Roine Ballmer in 1994 and moved to Gothenburg. Since retiring, he had helped part-time at Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel.
Ecklund was a member of the American Lutheran Church and sang with the men’s choir. He was also president of the Crestview Senior Housing Board and was a TeamMates mentor.
He enjoyed golfing, playing cards, going to his grandchildren’s events, and cheering on the Huskers, according to family members.
Ecklund was preceded in death by: his parents, Carl and Osa; his first wife, Carole Ecklund; sister-in-law, MonaLee Cutler; niece, Julie Smiley.
Survivors include: his wife, Roine Ecklund of Gothenburg; two sons—Steve (Linda) Ecklund of Grand Island, and Scott (Robyn) Ecklund of Bartlesville, OK; a daughter, Lisa (Matt) Wilson of Gothenburg; 13 grandchildren—Jennye, Jayme and Julia Ecklund, Ashley (Brent) Knust, Ben, Nolan and Dane Wilson, Chantel, Eden, Britt, Elise, Elijah and Gabriel Ecklund; two step-sons—Mark (Holly) Ballmer and Alan (Jennifer) Ballmer, all of Gothenburg; four-step-grandchildren—Luke and Brooke Ballmer, Alex and Alisha Ballmer; two great-grandchildren—Dominic Howells and Landyn Broadway; two sisters—Berneice (Dayne) Smith of Littleton, CO, and Berneita (Jim) Mitchell of Bozeman, MT; brother-in-law, Ron Cutler of Elsie; numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.
Memorials are suggested to the American Lutheran Church, 1512 Ave. G, Gothenburg, NE 69138, the Nebraska Kidney Association, 668 S. Blaine, Minden, NE 68959, and the Gothenburg Volunteer Fire Department, 602 10th St., Gothenburg, NE 69138.