Memorial

Eldon Akers, age 88, of Central City, died December 5, 2012 at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. Services will be held at 11am Monday, December 10, 2012 at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories in Cedar Rapids. The family will greet friends from 4 to 7pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Eldon Rollo Akers was born on October 22, 1924, the son of Jeremiah and Vinelandis (Sheppard) Akers in Central City, Iowa. Eldon grew up on a farm in Buffalo Township, near Central City, Iowa. During World War II, Eldon enlisted in the United States Marines Corps, and served in the Pacific Theater on the USS Maryland. On December 12, 1945, he was united in marriage to Delores ‘Dory’ Elizabeth Ziebarth in Cambridge, Minnesota. Eldon and Dory made their home in Central City, Iowa, where they raised four children. Eldon worked at Universal Engineering in Cedar Rapids until his retirement in 1986. While serving his country, Eldon had the pleasure of meeting George Halas, owner of the Chicago Bears. Thereafter he became a loyal Bears fan, and spent many Fall Sundays traveling with family and friends to Soldier Field to watch the Bears play. For much of his life, Eldon fished and spent time with family at Pinicon Ridge Park. He also enjoyed golfing at Meadowview Country Club, where he taught his grandsons how to golf, and for years played in men’s league on Thursdays. One of his great thrills occurred at Squaw Creek Golf Course on Memorial Day, 1990, when he had his first hole-in-one. His grandsons, Brent and Kyle, served as enthusiastic witnesses. Eldon (who would have another hole-in-one at Meadowview in 1998) and Kyle remain the only two individuals in their extended family to have a hole-in-one. Eldon and his family were proud of his military service, and he treasured the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. he took with son Al in 2011. Eldon enjoyed watching the Hawkeyes, Cubs, and Bears play, going to his grandchildren’s athletic events, eating good food and spending time with his family. Eldon was a wonderful, kind and loving husband, father, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be dearly missed, remembered and honored by everyone who knew him. Eldon is survived by his sons Allen (Pam) Akers, Steven (Julie) Akers, and his daughter Barb (Ted) Steele, his grandchildren, Michele (George) Hahn, Matt Hemminger, Brent (Mindy) Steele, Kyle (Lisa) Steele, Isaiah (Amy) Akers, Mason (Terra) Akers, Austin Akers, Skyler (Courtney) Akers, and Ben Akers, and his great-grandchildren, Chase and Chandler Bolton; Brenan, Kaleb, Annabelle, and Joseph Eldon Steele; Merrick and McKenna Hemminger; and Jordyn, Jackson, Teegin, Trynitee and Isabella Akers.He was preceded in death by his wife Dory in 2005, their son Kenneth in 1999, his parents, and all of his siblings: eleven brothers - James, Alfred ‘Dutch’, Henry, Ralph, Leroy, Victor, Jeremiah ‘Jerry’, Vernon ‘Buster’, Donald ‘Bud’, Robert, and Freddie, and two sisters - Charlotte and Mary.The family would like to thank the staff at Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy for the care they provided to Eldon, and Eldon’s Central City neighbors, especially Luke and Lois Lawrence, for their kindness over the years.