Firefighters from departments across the county gathered at the Warrensville Volunteer Fire Department Friday morning to pay their respects one last time to a fallen brother.

Joshua “Bruce” Eller, affectionately known as JB by those who knew him best, passed away Sunday evening at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He had succumbed to a stroke that he suffered the previous Saturday, just two days after responding to a fire call.

Members of the Fleetwood, Creston, New River, and Warrensville departments stood somberly in front of the fire house and saluted their comrade as the funeral procession continued on its trek to Eller’s final resting place at the Eller Family Cemetery. Black ribbons hung delicately from the firehouse’s main doors and swayed back and forth in the cool summer breeze.

At 9:20 a.m., traffic was halted momentarily as the WVFD fire hose truck carrying Eller’s coffin came to a complete stop in front of the firehouse to allow fellow firemen to salute the procession. The colors of the American flag draped across the coffin beamed brightly in the September sunlight. For a few seconds, the calm silence was broken with the shrill a siren from a Warrensville fire truck. This loud burst was done at the family’s request in honor of Eller.

County firefighters continued to stand at attention with their right hands fixated to their brows as they saluted Eller’s family and friends as they passed through Warrensville.

Officers from the Ashe County Honor Guard led the procession which began 20 minutes earlier at the Boone Family Funeral Home. Each ACHG member wore a black arm ban on his or her left sleeve, accenting their uniforms while paying tribute to Eller.

The ACHG is a ceremonial group comprised of Ashe County firefighters and emergency responders who formed its ranks in 2007 to salute their fallen brethren and supporting grieving families.

Eller was born in Ashe County on May 5, 1946 and had been a longstanding member of WVFD. He spent much of his career repairing fire and safety equipment at fire departments locally and nationwide. Eller is survived by his son Randy and father, Bruce Eller, as well as his brother Charles along with several nieces and nephews.

The impression that Eller had left among the local firefighting community was clearly visible on the side of the fire truck transporting his flag-draped coffin. Painted in gold letters directly below the truck’s side panel read, “In loving memory of JB Eller.”

The line of saluted firemen remained motionless until the entire procession was out of sight.