Steven C. Eckels, age 73, unexpectedly went to be with his Heavenly Father on Saturday evening, July 12, 2025, with his wife, Sue, by his side at their home in Eureka, MT. He was born on October 31, 1951 to parents Forest C. and Jeannine R. (Lindahl) Eckels in Wausau, WI.
Steve was raised in Wausau until he was 8 years old, when the family of five moved to Wautoma, WI because his father was promoted to manager/operator of the newly-built branch store of Northern Auto Supply Co. Much to Steve’s delight, their Wautoma home was located on the banks of the White River, where Steve and his neighborhood friends loved to fish for trout. (The sport of fishing became a lifelong love, including ice fishing with his brother, Tom.) Steve was very active as a student at Wautoma High School, especially in music and drama, student council, and football. He graduated in 1970.
Steve married Cinda Engebretson on August 19, 1972 at the Camp Lucerne chapel. They lived in Wautoma until he got a job with the Wisconsin Gas Company and moved to Clintonville, WI, where Steve and Cinda had two children, Ryan and Shannon, but later divorced. Steve was active in the Clintonville community, including coaching/umpiring Little League and Women’s League softball games. He was also a volunteer fireman and a certified rescue diver. He served as the youngest Mayor of Clintonville, from 1986 to 1988.
As he was growing up, he accompanied his dad to the Merrill area to what the family called “the shack” for deer hunting season. The shack was a place where relatives and close friends gathered to hunt white tail deer, concoct homemade meals, and to enjoy hunting stories from the past. Steve was kind-of a “celebrity” when it came to making the hunters laugh, as did his dad. He had an outgoing personality and was quick with one-liners.
Steve was a big sports fan and from 1998-2003 was the Athletic Director, as well as baseball and football coach, at Tri-County High School in Plainfield. He was also a die-hard Packers fan, watching the games with his dad and other family members throughout the NFL football season.
After taking a course in an auctioneer school in Minnesota and became a certified auctioneer, he enjoyed holding auctions on weekends and evenings; he auctioned off anything from farm equipment to antiques, and entertained the crowd with his antics. He also used his auctioneering skills to hold a yearly auction at the Eckels family Christmas get-togethers, where family members brought silly-to-serious wrapped up “gifts,” usually raising over $300. The lucky person whose name was drawn from a hat at the end of the auction, had to give the total raised to their favorite charity. When Steve couldn’t make it to the Christmas gathering, he had already prepared his brother, Tom, as his “back-up” auctioneer.
As he neared retirement, he moved to Montana where he was a correctional officer at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge Valley. He was also a mental health “counselor” and president of the union at the prison. He retired in 2013 and married Sue Ruley on October 31, 2013, which was also his birthday; (Sue hoped it would be a good reminder of their anniversary every year). In his retirement years, he held many more auctions (he loved doing auctions) and was an avid elk and mule deer hunter. He also enjoyed traveling to Wisconsin to visit family, especially enjoying time with his two grandsons, Quinn and Milo. The boys called him “Poppi” and loved playing games with him and in turn, he loved making them laugh.
In the summer of 2018 Steve and Sue took the trip of a lifetime, driving in their RV to Alaska with a group of friends. They spent 6 weeks driving to and from Alaska, as well as camping, enjoying the beauty of Alaska, telling stories around the campfire at night, and doing lots of fishing. Sue was a loyal Chicago Bears fan, so they also did lots of debating which team was better, the Bears or the Packers, teasing Sue whenever the Packers beat the Bears.
Steve is survived by his two children: Ryan Eckels, Manitowoc, WI; and Shannon Eckels (Aaron Karnatz), Stevens Point, WI and by his wife, Sue and her two children: Stephany Franklin (Scott Chambers), Dutton, MT; and James Ruley, Spanaway, WA, all of whom he cared for deeply. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Quinn and Milo Karnatz, Mark Ruley (Em Sims), Hayley (Ashton) Stacey, Jacob Ruley, and Kaleigh Ruley (Tony Lockrem). Survivors also include Steve’s sister, Sherry Kelley, and brother/sister-in-law, Thomas and Carol (Runnels) Eckels, and Sue’s siblings: Jay, Steven, and Thomas Darnell, and Patricia Barrett. In addition, Steve is survived by his godchildren: Molly (Kelley) Hardt and David Eckels and former mother-in-law, Pat Engebretson, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Steve was proceeded in death by his parents, Forest and Jeannine Eckels; his grandparents, William “Clair” and Alice Eckels and William and Mollie (Lindahl) Bacher; his brother-in-law, Nolan Kelley, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Schnackenberg Funeral Home, Eureka, MT, is assisting the family with the arrangements. A Celebration of Life is being planned for Steve in Eureka and another Celebration of Life in Wisconsin. Dates have not yet been established. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting Website: www.schnackenbergfh.com.
