Luvern Robert Eickhoff
Era: Korea
Military Branch: Army
EICKHOFF - Luvern "Ike" Robert of Bemidji, Minnesota
Luvern Robert Eickhoff was born on Tuesday, April 22nd 1930 and an identical twin (Loran), to Henry & Blodwen Eickhoff in Graceton, Minnesota. Luvern attended primary school near his parents home in Lake of the Woods Township and completed his secondary education at Williams High School in 1949. As a high school student, Ike was academically successful and captain of the Williams High School basketball team.
Ike was inducted into the US Army at 22 years old and had to put a lot of his life's plans on hold. He served with the 8240th Army Unit; Far East Command as a Private (PVT). He was deployed on a 9-month duty post in Korea, Yodo Island, Wangsong Harbor as a morse code radio operator. He had the responsibility to orchestrate the missions of 53 agents. He experienced emptiness and abandonment, near-death events and loss of his comrades which eventually became the content of his memoirs, ‘My Story‘, depicting his Korean War service-journey.
After the war PVT Eickhoff returned to the US and was stationed at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. Upon completion of his Army service he returned home and in 1956 and married Avis Marlene Nordling in Oslo, Minnesota. They moved thereafter to Stephen, Minnesota where he taught industrial arts at the high school as well as a summer sports and activities program for kids. He also coached basketball and was the assistant football coach. Then they started started and raised a family between there and Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Ike’s tertiary education included a Bachelors degree from Bemidji Teachers College, Bemidji, MN, a Masters degree from University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education/Research and Evaluation from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Ike and his wife are members of First Lutheran in Bemidji, Minnesota where he has served in various areas and a regular amongst the Men‘s Group. Ike shared his military recount many times, one-on-one and to wider audiences, over the last decade.
‘Never to be forgotten‘ is the motto which was illustrated by his compassion for those who served in the forces and died, many of whom were buried and fortunate enough to have a headstone with engravements. Yet, the sight of these headstones covered with lichen was evidence to the fact that they may indeed have been forgotten. Moved by compassion and an act of kindness, KARE 11 TV recognized and titled him a ‘Man on a Mission‘ where he demonstrated the process for cleaning gravestones and restoring them to their original glory. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uenZNL5Pgg)
Luvern ‘Ike’ Robert Eickhoff, 94, passed away peacefully in Bemidji, Minnesota on February 19th 2025 alongside his wife and family members. Services will be held at the First Lutheran Church in Bemidji on Tuesday, February 25th at 2 p.m., visitation before the service, and a time of fellowship after the service.
Inurnment will take place in July 2025 with a celebration of his life, his passions with his family and close friends. Memorial donations will be gifted to areas meaningful to Ike‘s passions. A bench for reflection & contemplation will be placed amongst the trees with the engravement, "Praise Him, Thank Him, Ask Him", words by which Ike lived.
Sources:
- Recollections of family of Luvern "Ike" Robert Eickhoff
- Library of Congress:
Luvern R. Eickhoff Collection | Library of Congress
