Larry L. Eichelberger

Larry Lee Eichelberger was born to Theodore (Todd) Calvin Eichelberger and Harriet Elaine (Painter) Eichelberger on April 12, 1939 in Lincoln, Nebraska and passed away on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Fairview Manor in Fairmont, Nebraska. He was the youngest of Todd and Harriet. He had an older sister, Rita Glee (Eichelberger) Evans. He grew up in the Havelock/Bethany area of Lincoln. Between his junior and senior year of high school, he joined the US Naval Reserve but later was discharged due to medical reasons. He graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School in 1957. During high school, Larry really enjoyed being on the swim team. He told a lot of stories about the practical jokes they played on each other. One particular story was when they all went swimming in a pool late one night. It turns out that Larry was a really good runner as well, especially when the police showed up and shined their flashlights on a few of his friends. Larry out ran them all. He ran to his sister’s house covered in mud and trying to catch his breath. His sister asked him all the obvious questions; one being where were his glasses. They had fallen off and the police car ran them over. Funny enough, he ended up being a lifeguard for that same pool, Hillcrest Country Club. These same great friends spent hours working on their cars; an Edsel, a Blue ’57 Chevy, and Larry’s ‘54 Studebaker. Larry then graduated from Milford Tech in Milford, Nebraska as a machinist. Finding a job as a machinist wasn’t easy. He started working in parts for Oshea Rogers. He also worked as a security guard for Swartz Paper Company in the railroad and guarded freight being loaded and unloaded in the Haymarket. Eventually, Larry accepted a machinist job at Bear Machine making parts for gun reloaders and specialty parts for guns. Later, he went to work at Berg Manufacturing in Waverly, NE machining parts for cranes. During these years, Larry met Nancy Lee Nichols, a graduate from Lincoln Southeast High School. Their first sighting of each other was at Smiley’s Conoco Service Station in Havelock. Their dates included trips to King’s, Lee’s Chicken, Pioneer Park, Runza, car races, and the Eichelberger Family Cabin at Cedar Creek. They weren’t sure this relationship would really work out between them because there was a very strong rivalry between the Northeast Rockets and Southeast Knights. Their relationship did develop into an engagement, then marriage. They were married on September 1, 1962 at the Sheridan Blvd Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. They had two children, a daughter, Shelly Lynn, and a son, Scott Allen. Shortly after Scott’s birth, Nancy’s parents, Thad and Loraine purchased a farm equipment dealership, now known as Nick’s Farm Store Co. and asked them join them in Geneva, Nebraska with this new venture. Nick’s was Larry’s profession until his retirement in 2018. During his 52 years at Nick’s Farm Store, Larry and Nancy had the opportunity to meet many great people and develop valued friendships for a lifetime. Larry and Nancy enjoyed traveling to numerous places including Hawaii, The Bahamas, Mexico, Canada and most of the 50 states. One of his favorite trips was going fishing with Scott in Canada. When Larry wasn’t working on weekends, he enjoyed going to the cabin, car races, air shows, boating, camping, trapshooting, motorcycling and watching the Huskers. His greatest joy was spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandchildren. He loved watching them in their sports, music events, speech, drama, trapshooting, and was involved with them in all their favorite hobbies. He never missed any of their events if possible. Larry was preceded in death by his wife Nancy Lee (Nichols)Eichelberger, parents, Todd and Harriet (Painter) Eichelberger; sister, Rita Evans; brother in-law, Walter Lee Evans; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Thad and Loraine (Edzards) Nichols. He is survived by his daughter, Shelly Kennel and husband, Conley Kennel of Geneva; son, Scott Eichelberger and wife, Jenny (Saltzman) Eichelberger of Geneva; grandchildren Jamey and wife, Vicki (Edith & Isaac) Kennel of Gretna; Justin and wife, Hillary (Eva and Joel) Kennel of Gretna; Rebecca and husband, Logan (Madelyn) Orpin of Sarasota, Florida; Nick and fiancée, Rachel (Adame) Eichelberger of Kansas City, Kansas; and Elizabeth and husband, Eddy Zabala of Sarasota, Florida; nieces, Kathy (Evans) and Jerry Marple of Glendale, Arizona and Kay (Evans) Peters of Fremont, Nebraska; great nieces and nephews, family, and great friends. A Funeral Service for Larry was held on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Geneva, Nebraska. Kim Dunker and Matthew Troyer-Miller presided over the Funeral Service. Melissa Houchin provided the prelude and postlude music and she also accompanied the congregation in the singing of “How Great Thou Art.” The recorded selections “When I Get Where I’m Going” and “I’ll Fly Away” were also played during the service. Pallbearers included Jamey Kennel, Justin Kennel, Nicholas Eichelberger, Logan Orpin, Eddy Zabala, Roby Taylor, and Nate Hughes. A Graveside Service was held in the Geneva Public Cemetery immediately following the Funeral Service. Farmer & Son Funeral Home was in care of the arrangements and online condolences can be left at www.farmerandsonfuneralhome.com Memorials are suggested to the Fillmore County Hospital Foundation or the Make-A-Wish Foundation-Nebraska.

Tributes

Larry L. Eichelberger

April 12, 1939 - May 10, 2025