64106_William Harold_Luppen
GARNER | William Harold Luppen, 78, died Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, at the Iowa City Rehabilitation Center in Iowa City surrounded by his family.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 1, 2014, at the United Methodist Church, 885 Maben Ave., Garner, with the Rev. Paul Evans officiating. Burial will be at Concord Cemetery in Garner.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the United Methodist Church in Garner, and continue one hour prior to services at the church.
Ewing Funeral Chapel, Britt, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Bill was born on April 4, 1935, at home near Kanawha, Iowa, to Will and Carrie Luppen. He grew up on a farm near Kanawha and after high school graduation began working at the North Iowa Experimental Farm.
On a blind date he met the love of his life and married Janet Smith on Nov. 7, 1954. They were transferred to the Howard County Experimental Farm where for the next 12 years he worked with ISU farm research.
In 1969 he became the plant manager for CFS in Garner and later purchased the plant and started B&L Farmacy until his retirement in 2004.
At 04:30 every morning the coffee club would commence at B&L to resolve local and governmental issues. If only the fertilizer generated from those early philosophical discussions could have been bagged, all involved would have retired early and rich. Unable to remain retired, he worked at Stellar Industries until illness forced him to retire.
Bill devoted his time to his wife, family and love of his work. Always with a smile and a kind word, he would go out of his way to help anyone. He was the ultimate role model as a father and devoted husband. His departure leaves a huge gap but his memories and examples will lead the next generation.
Bill is survived by his children, son Kevin (Janice) and their children Gregory and Sadie of Wasilla, Alaska; son Milo (Kim) and his sons Jordan, Riley and Jake of White Bear Lake, Minn.; daughter Bambi (Jeff) Urich and her sons Tyler, Trevor (Whitney) and Tanner (Sarah) of Garner, Iowa; daughter Misty (Tony) Bartleson and their daughters Cheslea (Zach), Natessa, Miranda of Forest City, Iowa; daughter Kelli (Doug) Krutsinger and their children Ian and Emma of Marengo, Iowa; great-grandchildren Braylon and Hayden Urich and Harlow Frederick; sisters Carolyn (Dennis) Lamoreux, Britt, Iowa, and Janet (Dale) Sundeen of Golden, Colo.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Janet, his parents Will and Carrie, brother Roger Keith, and son-in-law Bernie Urich.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Bernie Urich Memorial Music Scholarship.
Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center St. W., Britt, IA 50423; 641-843-3839.
www.ewingfh.com