Virginia Ann Backlund Eckstrom, of Columbia, entered into eternal rest peacefully on January 27, 2022. Services will be held at 2:00 PM Monday, January 31, at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 6952 St. Andrews Road, Columbia, SC, with interment to follow at Bush River Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be at the church on Monday afternoon one hour before the service.
The daughter of Swedish immigrants, Mrs. Eckstrom was born in Two Harbors, MN on April 30, 1923 to the late Simon Helge Backlund and Margaret Elizabeth Skoog Backlund. She attended Cook County High School in Grand Marais, MN and Bethel College (now Bethel University) in St. Paul, MN.
She was predeceased by her husband, Clifford R. Eckstrom; a son, David C. Eckstrom; a daughter, Margaret Ann Eckstrom and two brothers, Vernon H. Backlund and (infant) George Backlund. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Alba B. Eckstrom; sons, Richard (Kelly) Eckstrom, Jim (Linda) Eckstrom, Dan (Suzanne) Eckstrom, John (Kim) Eckstrom, Nate (Karen) Eckstrom; daughter, Mary (Jeff) Gardner, and former daughter-in-law, Peggy M. Eckstrom. She is also survived by twenty-one grandchildren and twenty-two great grandchildren.
Mrs. Eckstrom was a manager for the Tupperware Corporation, which she balanced with homemaking for many years. In addition to raising her family – to which she devoted her boundless love and energy – her passion was in Christian missionary work with her husband during their retirement years.
They served on multiple missions trips across every continent of the world except Antarctica. As an example of that commitment, three decades ago she and her husband teamed with an international missions organization to transport Bibles to underground churches in the Middle East – along with videos presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ – in the national language of a country where their distribution was at the risk of a death sentence.
Mrs. Eckstrom was a charter member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Columbia, and a resident of the Heritage at Lowman for several years.
Her family thanks the staff at Lowman Home for their thoughtful and compassionate ministry and care.
Memorials may be made to Gideons International, 5106b Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29204, or to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (Missions), 6952 St. Andrews Road, Columbia, SC 29212.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.caughmanlexington.com for the Eckstrom family.
