Memorial
Mia Michelle Eckhardt was born on March 15, 2019. She was called home to Heaven on May 8, 2025. During her short time here she was a force of nature who touched a multitude of lives. Visitation will be held 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. Visitation will be held also at 9:00 am Saturday, May 17, 2025, until the time of the 10:00 am Funeral Service at Faithlife Church, 8300 C Avenue, Marion, IA 52302. Interment will be at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. “A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the Faithlife Website (www.faith-life.org) click on the “Watch Live Button”.
Mia was a Kindergartner at West Willow Elementary. She managed to be sweet yet sassy; inquisitive and intelligent, yet silly and funny. She was a girly girl who loved Barbies, dancing, princess dresses and tea parties, pink and purple. However, she was also a fierce competitor. She loved soccer, and was interested in learning how to swim, box, play basketball and football.
Everyone who met Mia saw her light, but above all she was a girl who loved her family. Her sister Gigi was her bestie, and they enjoyed family adventures like the American Girl Doll Store and Great Wolf Lodge. They loved jumping on the trampoline and riding their scooters in the park, but also loved gathering on the couch, watching movies and snuggling with Mom, Dad, and most recently, Baby Bro.
Mia knew she was loved unconditionally and supported to try new things and make mistakes. Her daddy was her prince, who doted on her and loved her knock knock jokes and sharing his affinity for action figures with her. Her mom was her rock, the only one that could get Mia to sleep as a baby, pack her lunch correctly and was her snuggle buddy. Mia emulated her mama and surely would have become a teacher someday, just like her.
Left to cherish Mia’s memory are her parents, Jackie and Nate Eckhardt, her sister Gianna “Gigi”, and brother Nate Jr; her grandfather Larry Eckhardt, who met his match in his precious Mia, her grandmother Mindy Kruckenberg, who will most miss playing princess rock band, and abuelos Jack and Martha Cedillo, who will miss their silly FaceTime conversations; uncles Jack Cedillo Jr. and Nic Eckhardt, aunts Martha and Esther Cedillo, aunt and uncle Gleisy and Franklin Ortega, cousins Scarlett and Abigail Ortega; great grandmothers Marta Bonilla and Sharon Kruckenberg “Granny”, many great aunts and uncles, and special friends John and Mary Stevens.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.