Edward Ecklund

Edward J. "Ed" Ecklund, age 61 of Grantsboro, North Carolina, formerly of Sauk Centre, died unexpectedly Saturday, June 13, 2015 at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, North Carolina.

A memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 29 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Inurnment with military honors will be in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls, Minnesota.

Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church.

Edward John Ecklund was born June 19, 1953 in Superior, Wisconsin to Albert "Jerry" and Rosemond "Rose" (Claseman) Ecklund. He was a 1971 graduate of Rubidoux High School in Riverside, California. Ed proudly served his country in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1975 and re-enlisted in 1981. He served in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada (1983), the first Gulf War in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti (1994-1995), as well as in Korea and two tours of duty in Germany. While stateside he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he retired in 1998 after 21 years of active military duty. He truly loved serving his country as a member of the armed forces.

Ed enjoyed fishing, riding motorcycles, watching old westerns, and was an avid gamer. He liked grilling, cooking chili, and was known for his chocolate chip cookies and sticky buns, made from his mom's recipes.

Survivors include his mother, Rose Ecklund of Sauk Centre; brother, Victor (Cristy) Ecklund of San Luis Obispo, California; sisters, Katherine (David) VanderNaalt of Sun City, Arizona and Elissa (John) Andrusak of Riverside, California; several nieces and nephews, as well as great nieces, great nephews, great great nieces, and great great nephews; and dear friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Albert "Jerry" Ecklund; brother, Lawrence Ecklund; and nephew, David VanderNaalt, Jr.