Eldon Bryhan

Eldon Bryhan, age 93, died on June 30, 2011. He was born September 15, 1917, to Elmer and Alice Bryan near Lancaster. Eldon grew up on a farm, graduated from Lancaster High School with the class of 1935. Soon after, he rode with a fellow graduate in a 1932 Plymouth to San Francisco but found no work, joined the Army and served his enlistment at the Peraidio. Eisenhower was a Lt. Colonel at the time and was also stationed there. General Marshall came to the gate one Sunday while Eldon was pulling guard duty. In early 1940 after his discharge, Eldon got a job at the 1940-1941 Exposition and during his off hours went to welding school, also got married in June to Louise DeCrocker. He took a job in the ship yards building the U.W. Naval fleet until drafted in 1945, and shipped out of Seattle on the troop ship General Buckner and the first day out from land it was announced that Japan had surrendered. Ship continued on to Okinawa where helped rebuild the island. Hungry and desperate Jap soldiers stranded on Okinawa would come down from the hills at night to murder and rob. Finally discharged, Eldon started his own welding ship in Santa Rosa in 1947. He got into rebuilding racing and stock cars and finally did some stock car racing himself, earning him the nickname of Dynamite Bryhan.

He is survived by his sister, Gladys (Don Lang) of Beloit; brothers, Dale (Marietta) of Weslaco, Texas, Norman (Ruth) of Madison, and Ralph (Sharon) of Rockford, Ill.

Eldon was preceded in death by his wife, his father and mother and older brother, Elmer Jr., sister, Evelyn and brother, Donald.

Graveside services with military honors were held on Saturday, September 10, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. in Boice Prairie Cemetery, Lancaster, with Pastor Mark Dieter officiating. Schwartz Funeral Home in Lancaster is assisting the family.