Dudley Eickstedt

Born on March 18, 1942, in Milwaukee, Dudley was the beloved son of the late Wallace Eickstedt and the former Bernadine LaGrange of Milwaukee.

Dudley graduated from Custer High School in Milwaukee with the Class of 1960. Under his picture in his high school yearbook it was written, “a quiet guy, but quite a guy.”

Shortly after graduating from high school, he joined the United States Army and served as a military policeman with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, from 1961-1964. During his time in the Army, Dudley was deployed in support of war games at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., and in support of the National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. He was honorably discharged in February 1964.

He married the love of his life, the late Sharon Brown of Vulcan, on Nov. 14, 1964, at Benediction Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. They were married for 60 years and shared many adventures together. She preceded him in death on Oct. 16, 2025.

Dudley worked hard all of his life, beginning at the age of 14. During his youth he picked fruits and vegetables on local farms, delivered the Milwaukee Journal, and bagged groceries at the Red Owl Supermarket. As an adult he worked as a timekeeper at the Pressed Steel Tank Company in Milwaukee before transitioning to a professional truck driver in 1968. He drove for the Wilson Freight Company from 1969-1980 and later the American Freight Company. He drove a fuel truck for the Krist Oil Company of Iron River for many years until his retirement.

While he didn’t have many hobbies, he enjoyed planting gardens and working on his yard, as well as fishing and hunting.

Dudley is survived by his three children, Donald (Svetlana) Eickstedt of Nashua, N.H., Daniel Eickstedt of Colorado Springs, and Lynne (Sascha) Lantin of Vulcan; his sisters, Luann (Jack) Stanley, Elaine (Dennis) Klubertanz, and Dorthy (Paul) Zimmerman. He was a proud grandfather to Samuel Eickstedt of New York, New York; Dylan, Sofia, and Danielle Eickstedt of Colorado Springs; and Gage Steely of Knoxville, Tenn.; as well as many nieces and nephews. He is fondly remembered by his friend Kelly Fealy of Santa Fe, N.M.

Visitation will be held on Monday, Dec. 29, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Ortman Funeral Home in Norway.

Funeral services will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. at the Ortman Funeral Home, with Pastor Paul Doletzky of Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Escanaba officiating.

Interment will follow at the Norway Township Cemetery.

Condolences to the family of Dudley may be expressed online at www.ortmanfuneralhome.com

Arrangements were made with the Ortman Funeral Home in Norway.