[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E729-E730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE OF LOUIS ``L.B.'' ECKELKAMP, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ANN WAGNER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 22, 2026

  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of one of my constituents and a dear friend, Louis ``L.B.'' Eckelkamp, 
Jr. of Washington, Missouri. It is difficult to put into words what 
L.B. meant for so many people and the City of Washington. L.B. started 
his career at a young age, learning the value of hard work while 
working for his father at Diamonds Restaurant in via a Ridge as a 
teenager washing dishes and busing tables. He was a tireless advocate 
for our community, devoting his life to making the world better for 
those around him. He served over five decades with the Bank of 
Washington, the longest-serving director in its history, and he also 
founded the oldest law firm in Washington, Eckelkamp Kuenzel LLP.
  He had a great many professional accomplishments, but he was so much 
more than just the successes of his career.
  He believed in volunteer service and giving back to the community and 
was one of the most involved and engaged people I have ever had the 
pleasure of knowing. He was deeply committed to the Boy Scouts, serving 
locally and nationally, and helped nurture so many individuals who will 
become leaders in their own right in the next generation. His service 
included roles at the YMCA, Washington Town and Country Fair, Mercy 
Hospital, St. Louis Archdiocese, Missouri Historical Society, and St. 
Francis Borgja Parrish, among so many others. L.B. worked every day of 
his life to inspire those around him. He was a pillar of Washington and 
will leave a long legacy from which we all can learn.
  I am blessed to have known him personally and learned so much from 
him, and I know

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there are so many in Washington who feel the same.
  These are big shoes to fill, and it will truly take the entire 
community coming together to do the work that L.B. was doing. But the 
reality is, we all will and L.B. knows we will. He led by example, and 
we have much more to learn from all he did.
  He leaves behind Bonnie, his wife of over six decades who was always 
by his side and is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Their 
marriage serves as a strong example of how two likeminded Missourians 
who care about those around them can make lasting changes here in our 
neighborhoods as an equal partnership. They were inseparable as they 
built a life of service and philanthropy that was centered around a 
shared passion to invest in their community, make Washington a better 
place for all, and give a helping hand to those in need.
  My prayers are with Bonnie, children Buzz and Jeanna, his sisters 
Judy and Susie, and his grandchildren and great grandchild. I thank 
L.B. for all he did for Washington, for Missouri, and for all those who 
loved him. May God Bless him.

                          ____________________