John Eberline

1940 - 2013

John Eberline

Oskaloosa

John Eberline, 73, Oskaloosa, IA, died Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

A memorial service will be held Friday May 24, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa.

A burial service of the cremated remains will be held at a later date in the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa.

John was born April 14, 1940, in Oskaloosa, IA, to Marion L. and Lois V. Clark Eberline. He was a graduate of Oskaloosa High School and William Penn College and served in the Iowa National Guard. He began his journalism career at the Oskaloosa Herald as a sports editor and in 1970, became editor and then president and publisher of South Idaho Newspapers, Inc. in Burley, ID. While in Idaho, John was appointed to the Idaho Nuclear Energy Commission by then Governor Cecil D. Andrus and also served as president of Idaho-Utah-Spokane Associated Press Association. He received Best Newspaper Column of the Year by the Idaho Press Club in 1976 for his weekly column, The Man On The Corner.

In 1988, John returned to Iowa as editor of the Oskaloosa Herald and sports information director of William Penn College, and later served as alumni relations/media relations director at the university. He served one term on the William Penn University Board of Trustees. He was inducted into the WPU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a 44 year member of the B.P.O.E.

John is survived by his wife, Connie; his daughter, Robin (Philip) Lopresti of Edmonds, WA; his son, Bruce (Stephani) of St. Petersburg, FL; two grandsons, Joshua (Laura Beth) Roundy and Justin Roundy; and one great-grandson, Mason. He is also survived by a sister, Linda (Robert) Strasser of Oskaloosa; cousins, nieces, nephews, and mother-in-law, Bette Wright of Oskaloosa.

Memorials may be directed to William Penn University, Farrington/Eberline Scholarship Fund or Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa.