Grace Eckhardt

1914 - 2010

GRACE ELEANOR (CUTHBERTSON) ECKHARDT Age 96, resident of Riverside, CA for 63 years, passed away 12/06/2010. Grace was born 09/21/1914 in Kensington, Minnesota and grew up in Lidgerwood, a small town in North Dakota. She was a bright child and finished high school two years early. She was inspired by a nurse in her town to become a registered nurse. Grace went to Minneapolis to attend nursing school, but because she graduated from high school so young, she had to wait almost two years to enter nursing school at Asbury Hospital. She worked as a soda jerk while waiting. Sometime after graduation from nursing school, she met the love of her life Dr. Carl L. Eckhardt. With war clouds gathering over the world, they married in 1940. After Pearl Harbor, Carl volunteered for military service and became a flight surgeon in the European theater. During the war the devoted couple wrote letters to each other every day until Carl\'s return. To many, including Grace and Carl, California appeared to be the land of opportunity. When Carl was discharged from the Army Air Corps it was at March Field. They fell under California\'s spell, and decided to pack up their belongings in Minneapolis and move to Riverside. They were among the founding members of Faith Lutheran Church. Carl opened a private practice on Tyler Street and Grace served as his nurse and executive assistant. In addition to her duties as a nurse, Grace performed all the administrative tasks associated with office management. In addition, she always looked after her family and prepared a lovely meal each night. Grace and Carl envisioned establishing a new hospital in Riverside. After careful planning they joined a small group to found Parkview Hospital on Jackson Street. Grace and Carl provided medical care to the community for over two decades. Upon retirement, they were able to spend several years dividing their time between their home in Riverside and their mobile home park on Lewiston Lake in Northern California where they fished, picked berries and hiked. Grace remained in Riverside after Carl was killed in a tragic auto accident. She did volunteer work in a Lutheran thrift shop for over ten years. She had many friends and a loving family. She had many enjoyable trips with her sister Vivian and the Gospodinoffs and Woodards. She was a kind, generous person, always willing to help out when needed. Grace\'s life exemplifies what one can do in spite of being born into poverty. She had an indomitable spirit and lived a life devoted to service, friends and family. Grace is survived by her daughter, Carol L. Fischer and son-in-law Brian P. Fischer; her son, Gary D. Eckhardt, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.) and daughter-in-law Eileen L. Eckhardt; her sister, Vivian M. Criswell; two granddaughters, Kristy von Eckhardt and Stacey Lappert; one grandson Edward "Teddy" Fischer; and three great grandchildren, Bryan, Chase and Calista. If you would like to make a donation in Grace\'s name, the family has requested that they be made to the scholarship fund that was established to honor the life of her grandson, a professional musician who died in 2001: Todd B. Eckhardt Memorial Scholarship Ellington Fund 3500 R Street NW Washington, DC 20007-2326 Visitation will be held at the Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary on Sunday, December 12, 2010 from 4 to 8 pm. Graveside Service will be held at Olivewood Memorial Park on December 13, 2010 at 10:00 am with a Memorial Service following at Faith Lutheran Church beginning at 11:30 am. Arrangements under the direction of Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary (951) 688-1221 www.achesonandgraham.com