Carol Lynn Eichman

Carol Lynn Eichman, 83, of Flush died September 8, 2026 in Wamego, KS. She was the second daughter born to Walter and Thelma Kennedy, in Manhattan, KS on November 4, 1942. Carol grew up in Manhattan where she lived on Pierre St, across from Roosevelt Grade School. Her grade school years were spent at Theodore Roosevelt; 7th through 9th grades she attended what was then called the "Junior High School" located on Poyntz Avenue, and she graduated from Manhattan High School with the class of 1961.

Following a high school friend, Sheila Heskett, to the Chicago area in 1963, she worked as an administrative secretarial assistant in Catering and Convention & Sales, as well as the executive offices of the Conrad Hilton and the Executive House Hotels. She also worked for a number of years in the field of advertising. She loved working with people and always believed that personal customer service was one of the most important aspects to the success of any business.

Carol returned from Chicago to Manhattan in 1976 and in 1977 she purchased a house next to the Olsburg grade school, and she and her mother moved from Manhattan to Olsburg, where she said "we took care of each other". Upon her return to Manhattan in 1976 she became employed at Kansas State University, first in the Division of Continuing Education, and then in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design, working for a number of years in what was previously the freshman/sophomore Department of Environmental Design in APD, and later serving on the administrative staff of the dean's office. Carol's greatest enjoyment during her years at K-State came from working with many students, faculty, and staff. Along with several other K-State employees, she helped organize the first clerical bargaining unit for civil service clerical and office employees in the state of Kansas. She retired from K-State after 25 years of service in January of 2002.

In 1985 Carol was introduced to the man she called "The nicest guy on the face of the earth", her "little honey", Emil Eichman of Flush. She and Emil were married June 24, 1989 at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Flush. They made their home in rural Flush and celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary on June 24, 2021.

Carol was a member of the Saint Joseph Catholic Church, and she and Emil sang for many years in the choir. She was a member of the Saint Joseph Altar Society, the Westmoreland Classy Sassy Sisters chapter of the Red Hat Society, the Cherished Doll Club of Topeka, and the International Federation of Doll Clubs. She described herself as an avid collector of all things "sparkly", often saying that her whole world always revolved around color, beginning with her very first box of crayons as a child. Her love of color was reflected throughout her home, her clothing, the jewelry she both collected and designed, and in the interior environmental arrangements and table decorations she provided for various functions at Saint Joseph Church and Hall in Flush.

She moved to Valley Vista nursing home of Wamego, in December of 2022. She was known throughout the home for her colorful tie-dyed t-shirts and her joyful teasing spirit. She made many lasting friends and enjoyed all who worked there and took such wonderful care of her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Emil in 2022, her father in 1974; her sister, Nyla, in 1976; her mother in 1983; her brother, Jay, in 2025; as well as a sister-in-law, Alice Gereau; brothers-in-law, Delbert Eichman, Jim Eichman, and Lee Hunt.

She is survived by her sister, Ann Burkland, and her husband, Harold Burkland, of Wamego; her sisters-in-law, Mildred Eichman of Flush, Carol Ann Eichman of Wamego, and Margaret Hunt of Colorado; her brother-in-law, Ed Gereau of Wamego; many beloved nieces and nephews, including those who came into her life through both family and marriage; and many extended family members and dear friends who were an important part of her life.

A Rosary Service will be Friday morning (September 11, 2026) at 11:00 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Flush with Fr. Nick Blaha officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.

The family will meet with friends on Friday morning (September 11, 2026) from 10:00 until the time of the Rosary Service at 11:00 at the church.

Online condolences may be made at www.campanellastewart.com.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial for Carol Lynn Eichman has been established at the Kansas State University Foundation to support the Department of Interior Architecture and Industrial Design. Contributions may be sent to: KSU Foundation, 1800 Kimball Ave., Ste 200, Manhattan, KS 66502, please indicate fund M47537. To make a gift online, go to www.ksufoundation.org/give/memorials.