Walter "Ike" Eichhorn

Walter F. Eichhorn, 90, passed peacefully on January 24, 2018. Ike was born to Nuleeni (Hallauer) and Nicholas Eichhorn on January 27, 1927 in Davenport, Iowa. He graduated from Davenport High School in January 1945 and at 17 joined the Navy to fight for his country in WWII.

Upon returning home after the war, Ike attended the University of Iowa and earned a letter playing football for the Hawkeyes. He then transferred to Iowa State Teachers College (UNI) and married his high school sweetheart, Madaline Boeck in 1948.

Ike moved his growing family to Des Moines and took an engineering position at N.W. Bell where he worked for over 35 years, never taking a sick day. He then retired at the age of 53. He and Madaline then started Latchkey Enterprises in 1984, a fiber optic cable company, which stretched from Iowa to Pennsylvania.

The family lived on an acreage just north of Johnston where they raised and showed champion Arabian horses. The City of Johnston was incorporated at the families kitchen table, Ike also spent many years as the President of the Johnston School Board. He was blessed with wonderful health and loved following his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in all of their activities.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years Madaline; his children, Nick (Madelon) Eichhorn, Richard (Jaqueline) Eichhorn, Susan (Ken) Highfill, Stacey (John) Heinicke, and Shelley (David) Merritt; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway on Friday, February 2, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior. Ike will be laid to rest at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery at 12:30 pm following the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to Wreaths Across America at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed online at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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