The Service of Remembrance for Mrs. Abbie Mae Eckhardt, age 83, of Inverness, Florida; will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, November 28, 2015, at the Inverness Chapel of Hooper Funeral Homes with Pastor Larry Powers officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Inverness, Florida. The family will receive friends from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM Saturday at the Inverness Chapel. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.HooperFuneralHome.com.
Mrs. Eckhardt was born February 3, 1932 in Live Oak, FL, daughter of Max and Martha (Howell) Arnold. She passed away on November 24, 2015, in Inverness, FL, under the loving care of Hospice of Citrus and the Nature Coast. Mrs. Eckhardt was a life-long resident of Sumter and Citrus Counties. She was the owner and operator of Abbie's Place, a tavern and later Abbie's assisted living facility. She was a Charter member of Inverness Moose Lodge # 2112 and member of the Inverness Church of God for 34 years.
Mrs. Eckhardt was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Harold Junior Charles, husband, John Eckhardt, Jr. and a sister, Mildred Forte. Survivors include her loving companion, Ron Lique of Inverness, son, Raymond (Hazel) Sanders of Charlotte, NC, 5 daughters, Donna (Chuck) Holden of Floral City, FL, Carolyn (Tim) Phillips, Toni (Robert) Smith and Lisa Strong, all of Inverness and Karen (Michael) Lauer of Spring Hill, 2 brothers, Billy (Pat) Arnold of Bushnell and Don (Sherry) Arnold of Spartanburg, SC, 3 sisters, Annie Hall of Old Town, Ruby Williams of Trenton and Sugie (Mitchell) Crabtree of Inverness, 18 grandchildren, Tricia Varela, John Sanders, Buddi Mae Bryant, Davy Potter, Shabaca Maldonado, Jason Soukup, Autumn Phillips, Timmy Phillips, Brandy Gibbs, Catrina Strong-Blevins, Steven Strong, Abbie Allmond, Daniel Allmond, Rhonda Davis, William Davis, Ashley Lauer, Courtney Lauer and Craig Burns and 13 great-grandchildren, Travis James, Brooklyn Sanders, Koby Maldonado, Harper Soukup, Ty Gibbs, Landon Gibbs, Brinley Gibbs, Alexia Lee Strong, Noah Blevins, Knox Blevins, Vail Strong, Lilly Grace Boscarino and Isabella Rose Boscarino.
Published in Citrus County Chronicle on Nov. 27, 2015