Visitation
Saturday, November 23, 2024
10:00 AM EST
First Evangelical Covenant Church
1933 Tremont Blvd NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Web Site
Memorial Service
Saturday, November 23, 2024
11:00 AM EST
Live Stream
First Evangelical Covenant Church
1933 Tremont Blvd NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Web Site
Contributions
At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.
Mission Springs Conference Center
1050 Lockhart Gulch Rd.
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
(831) 335-9133
Web Site
Covenant Living of the Great Lakes Benevolent Fund
2510 Lake Michigan Drive NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Web Site
Pine Rest Patient Assistance Fund
300 68th Street SE P.O. Box 165
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
Web Site
Life Story / Obituary
John Andrew Eastburg was born on June 26, 1929 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. His mom and dad, Esther and Connie, drove him home from the hospital in their Model-T Ford. His house had a windmill that brought water up from a well, and no indoor plumbing.
John spent his childhood helping on the family potato farm, and catching polliwogs with his cousins, Vivian, Aina, and Donna who lived nearby. They ice-skated in the frozen irrigation ditch in the winter, and swam there in the summer. He learned how to play the piano, and joined a harmonica band as well.
In the fall of 1942, John’s family sold their farm and followed other relatives to California to begin farming there. They lived in Ripon for a while, and later moved to San Jose so that John could attend the accounting program at San Jose State University. Four days after graduating from college, he was sworn into the United States Navy. This was during the Korean War, and he was based in Virginia.
After the war ended, John began work for the County of Santa Clara Finance Department. He held several positions, eventually working his way up to becoming Finance Director.
In 1957 John attended a youth conference at Mission Springs Conference Center that would soon change his life. He met Joyce Johnson, who was originally from Minneapolis, and it became clear very soon that they were meant to be together. They married on March 15, 1958, and moved into a home in San Jose. Soon their son Mark was born, followed by a daughter, Susan.
During this time, John and his family attended First Covenant Church of San Jose. They made many close friends there, and John served in several ways, including church chairman and treasurer. His faith was always an integral part of his life.
John and Joyce dreamed of owning a place at Mission Springs, and in 1967 they purchased a 550 square foot cabin. John spent many hours working on the cabin, including fixing up bunk beds for the kids and converting a storeroom into a bedroom. The family lived in the cabin during the summers, with John commuting 25 miles to and from work. Many lasting friendships were made during this time.
In addition to time at the cabin, John and his family went on many trips. They journeyed to Hawaii, New England, Minnesota, and vacationed in Arizona every year.
John retired at age 52 after suffering a heart attack. He looked forward to this new chapter in his life and obtained a business license for “Eastburg Business Services.” He bought his first computer and did bookkeeping services for several places, including a medical lab. Two years later, he began working part time for Mission Springs. He commuted there two or three days a week.
John and Joyce enjoyed traveling. Their destinations included Scandinavia, Germany, Montreal, Alaska, Nova Scotia, and all over the United States. They often traveled with a group, sometimes including Joyce’s long-time friend, Audrey, and her husband Ken Nelson.
John’s son, Mark, married Susan Schaafsma and moved to Grand Rapids. Daughter Susan married Ken Kellner and moved near Buffalo, NY. John and Joyce traveled to these places many times over the years for holidays, special events, and to see their grandchildren: Luke, Britta, Nils, Ben, Linnea, Ken, Tim, Krista and Hannah. Grandpa John spent much time building outdoor forts, creating block towers, and reading with his grandchildren.
In 1997, John and Joyce moved to Covenant Living in Minneapolis. They wanted to be closer to their children, and to reconnect with some of Joyce’s family who were still living there. They quickly became involved in the community. John became president of the resident council, and started a computer club. Joyce served on the hospitality committee. They attended Brookdale Covenant church, where John spent two to three mornings a week volunteering as church accountant.
As well as donating much of their time, Joyce and John were very generous with their resources. They supported many missionaries and organizations. Once, when they heard a missionary in Japan desperately needed a specialized freezer for medical purposes, they purchased one and paid for it to be shipped from the US to Japan.
In 2000, Joyce received a diagnosis of breast cancer. She went into remission, but in 2007, the cancer returned. She passed away with John, Mark and Susan by her side. This was a very difficult time for John, and he found comfort in expressions of kindness by friends and family. He spent the next couple of years continuing with his volunteer work and spending time with others.
After Joyce’s passing, John kept in touch with Joyce’s friend, Audrey Nelson, who was now also widowed. After spending time together, their friendship grew and they decided to marry. Audrey moved to Minneapolis and they married on November 7th, 2009.
Over the next 8 years, John and Audrey spent time traveling to see their children and families. They volunteered at a nearby nursing home twice a month, popping popcorn and serving it to residents. In 2018 Audrey’s health declined and she passed away in August.
John decided to move to the Covenant Living facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to be near Mark’s family. He settled into a two-bedroom apartment with a beautiful view and quickly became part of the community. His whole family gathered in 2019 to celebrate his 90th birthday.
His life changed in March 2020 when the pandemic hit. The dining room closed, and he was isolated in his apartment. His family kept in touch with frequent phone calls and balcony visits, but John had lots of time on his hands. Never one to feel sorry for himself, he got busy writing his “booklets.” John had written an autobiography when he was 75, “The Journey of an Idaho Farm Boy,” and updated it at age 90. Now he started writing shorter books about specific topics. These included a book about the cars he had owned, a book about all the homes he had lived in, and a book about the churches he attended. He wrote them, edited them, and then sent them to Staples to be printed before distributing them to family. In all, he wrote 27 books. His family cherishes having all his memories written down.
During this time, many great-grandchildren were born. Anders, Ingrid, Freya, Rosie, Fenna, Endeavor and Linden visited John, and were often met with his signature greeting: “Well, who do we have here!”
John faced more health challenges as the years went on, though he remained upbeat and positive. In 2024, he had several hospital stays and in August he made the decision to enter hospice care. He moved to Trillium Woods and received the best of care. John continued to be active during this time, even setting up a mini-office with a printer and computer on an extra bedside tray. He kept in touch with others through phone calls and visits, and was able to say goodbye to everyone in his family before he passed away on October 17, 2024.
John will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, acceptance of everyone, his genuine interest in people, and his deep faith. Near the end, he often said, “I’m not afraid of dying, I know where I’m going!” He loved his family and friends well, and was deeply loved by them. He will be greatly missed.