Tag:Easterday Construction
Kathy Pearson
The Easterday Construction family lost another member last week. Kathy Pearson succumbed to her cancer after a three year, protracted battle. She kept her spirits up until the end. She came to the visitation for my grandfather on December 7th, only a couple of weeks ago, and promised we would get together for lunch again soon. Sadly that didn’t happen.
Kathy Pearson Obituary
Kathy was a fixture at Easterday Construction Co., Inc. for 38 years. KP to those of us in the office. When she retired at the end of 2014, she left a void that was impossible to fill. I gave some of her history with the company here in a previous post. That barely scratched the surface of the contributions she made.
History is a huge part of what was lost with her passing. Kathy remembered past projects nearly as well as I did in my tenure, but she also could tell me the history of projects before my time. She remembered past employees, subcontractors and suppliers, filling in gaps in things I had forgotten or never knew. She remembered phone numbers almost unerringly and served as a virtual rolodex when I would ask for a number or name that wouldn’t come to me. Long before it was “Ask Google” it was “Ask Kathy”.
Charley Creek Inn Ground Breaking
From Left to Right: Brent Martin – SRKM Architecture, Jeff Kumfer – SRKM Architecture, Steve Downs – Executive Director, Wabash Marketplace, Inc., Shelby McLaughlin – Project Manager, Wabash Marketplace, Inc., Mayor Bob Vanlandingham, Kevin Berger – Easterday Construction Co., Inc., Dan Ford – Charley Creek Foundation, Howard Kaler – General Manager, Charley Creek Inn, Christine Flohr – Executive Director, Visit Wabash County (CVB), Mark Noble – Charley Creek Inn
We broke out the gold shovels and held a ground breaking ceremony for the Charley Creek Inn expansion project on December 16th. Those shovels have successfully started many projects for us and we have no doubt that they will bring us good luck again. Thanks to all that came out to celebrate the event.
Demolition of the existing building is complete and preliminary site work is complete. We are planning to start concrete work the first week in January.
Blast From the Past – LaPaz Garden Court
Ran across this ad in the Pilot News the other day. LaPaz Garden Court was completed by Easterday Construction Co., Inc. in 2010. It was the 6th Garden Court facility we built from the ground up.
Due to a late start, this project got caught by weather and was shut down for several months through the winter. Despite that we were still able to make the completion date without extensions.
We are proud of our association with Garden Court and are fortunate to continue to count them as a client.
Culver Post Office
Dedication marker on the south side of the Culver Elementary School Gym which credits R. L. Easterday Construction with the construction in 1929.
Jeff Kenny borrowed a box of pictures I was given by the Culver Post Office a few years ago. He plans to scan them for the history museum. I’ve scanned them all including a large quantity of construction records from the project showing draws and wage rates. All of it is extremely interesting and provides a glimpse into the early history of our family business. Our early history is somewhat sketchy and our earliest project record we have is the concrete marker on the Culver Elementary School Gym which credits us with the construction in 1929. (It was the High School gym then, long before the school consolidation.)
Culver Post Office under construction
Jeff’s Throw Back Thursday article on the Culver Post Office gives some history of the site and includes a few pictures, one of which I included to here to the left. Purusing through the records from the project, I’m not sure if anyone who worked on it is alive today, but I doubt it. It was a depression era project and I have heard family stories of my great grandfather, Russell Easterday, taking the overnight train to Washington, D.C. with submittals and bids for government work during that time. At that time in our early history, the offices for the company were on the second floor of the State Exchange Bank building (currently First Farmers Bank & Trust). The current building at 402 North Slate Street was constructed on Russell’s farm in the 1950’s.
Image Source: Jeff Kenny – The Pilot News
ABC Since 1983
Easterday Construction Co., Inc. joining Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana on this date in 1983. Then company President Larry Berger signed ECC up as a member because we had similar goals and principals to those exposed by ABC. The organization has gone through some changes over the years, most notably the combining of ABC Indiana with ABC Kentucky, but for the most part the underlying core principals have remained the same and have remained aligned with those of Easterday Construction Co., Inc.
Over the past 25 years I have served on the regional council steering committee and have represented the regional council on the State Board of Directors and I am currently still serving on the State Board. At times I am disheartened that organizations such as these are necessary since a large part of ABC’s mission is to combat government overreach, special interest group agenda’s and just generally keeping its membership aware of the constantly changing regulations. But it is for those same reasons that Easterday Construction Co., Inc. has remained a member and we are thankful that the organization is there for us.
