John George Eggers

July 13, 1940 – Jan. 21, 2022

John George Eggers, 81, passed away peacefully Jan. 21, 2022, in Mesa, Arizona, where he had lived in retirement.

John was born in Page, N.D., July 13, 1940, to George and Margaret Eggers, 15 minutes ahead of his twin brother James. John worked the family farm growing up and attended high school in Galesburg, N.D. Not long after graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves and trained as an engineering technician. He later attended the Army’s Officer Candidate School earning a commission as a second lieutenant in the reserves.

After separating from the reserves as a first lieutenant, he began work in the meatpacking industry in North Dakota. Always one to take on new challenges, John quickly rose through the ranks and started his federal civil service career as a meat grader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture serving the bulk of his career based out of Des Moines, Iowa, and rising to the rank of supervisor. During this time, he also served in the Iowa National Guard earning the rank of master sergeant in the 132nd Wing’s Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. He retired from the National Guard in 1995 and retired from federal civil service in 2010.

John married Kathleen (Kathy) Schroeder June 29, 1967, in Arthur, North Dakota, at St. John’s Lutheran Church and the two had three sons together: John, Jeffrey and Jeremy. John and Kathy pursued a number of interests together, especially in their early years, to include bowling, arching, hunting, fishing and camping. Upon retirement, John and Kathy split time between their homes in Iowa and Arizona, later becoming full-time residents of Arizona.

John was an exemplar of turning hard work into opportunity and self-improvement, climbing the ranks in all that he pursued and always seeking to better himself. A voracious reader committed to intellectual pursuit, he was the best friend and partner to have on trivia night, did crossword puzzles in ink, and many a person was humbled watching him crush (from his well-worn brown leather recliner) the competition on Jeopardy.

His Iowa National Guard teammates were as close as family and with whom there was much fun and frolic shared over the years both in service and into retirement. An imposing figure at 6 foot 4 inches tall with hands as big as baseball mitts, Big John – as he was known to family and friends – was a commanding presence wherever he went. He used his stature to champion integrity and held a high standard of propriety and discipline. For John, “on time” was 30 minutes early, and as one of his national guard colleagues recalled, “If you ever got John’s finger in the chest, you gave him your undivided attention.” To those who didn’t get the finger, he’s remembered as a gentle giant who was always up for a night out or Iowa pork chops on the grill.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and sons John, Jeffrey (Rosie), and Jeremy (Michaela); grandchildren Angie, Christian, Genevieve, and George and grandchild Aricin; and siblings James (Mary) Eggers, Judy Bekkerus, Jeanette Collins and Marilyn (Grady) Thorsgard.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Margaret, brother Calvin (Shirley) Eggers and sister Joyce (Walt) DeLong.

Cremation will take place and services will be held in the summertime in the family’s home state of North Dakota. More details will be shared as they become available.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mariposagardens.com for the EGGERS family.