WILLIAM E. EICKHOLT 91, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at Accura Healthcare in Cherokee, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa. Pastor Mike Agnew will officiate. Visitation with the family present will be held an hour prior to the service beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Cherokee, Iowa. Military rites will be performed by L.A. Wescott Post #2253 and the Cherokee American Legion. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com.

Bill was born on September 3, 1934 to William and Virgie (Thompson) Eickholt. He attended grade school and high school in Anthon, Iowa, graduating from Anthon High School in 1953. He attended recruit training in 1954 at the Naval Air Technical Training Center until he was stationed in Japan in 1955. He was united in marriage to Phyllis Aduddell in Ida Grove, Iowa on July 14, 1956.

He enlisted in the United States Navy, where he was stationed in Japan, Guam, California, and New Jersey as a U.S. Naval Pilot. He retired from the military in 1973 as a E7 Chief Petty Officer. Phyllis and Bill purchased their home in Cherokee in 1972. He worked for Lundell Manufacturing as a quality control tech and Plant Manager from 1975-19779. He began beekeeping and that hobby led to a position as a State Ag Inspector, where he inspected bees for disease. He also taught a honey course. Phyllis always said “he never retired. He always was finding something to do.”

He was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Iowa, the V.F.W., Iowa Honey Association, and the Fleet Reserve.

In his free time, he was an avid bee keeper, enjoyed tinkering with anything to stay busy, and antiquing with his wife.

He was preceded in death by two sons Alan Eickholt and Joel Eickholt, and sister Margaret Eickholt and brother Francis “Frank” Eickholt.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis of Cherokee, Iowa; grandson Seth and Kristi Eickholt and their sons Jax and Jameson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, grandson Nash and Laura Eickholt and their children Henley, Sienna, Rowan, and Tatum of Salina, Kansas, and grandson Collyn Tollefson of North Carolina; siblings Walt Eickholt of Carson, Iowa and Alice (Kenny) Bunnell of Anthon, Iowa.