Rev Herman Conrad Koepke (1884-1931)

KOEPKE, WIEGNER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 9/5/2021 at 15:26:22

From Unknown newspaper

Rev. H. Koepke Died Suddenly Friday Morning

Funeral Services Held Sunday with Burial at St. Ansgar

The community was very greatly shocked Friday morning by the news of the sudden death of Rev. H. C. Koepke, popular pastor of the St. John's Lutheran church, four mile northwest of this city, and of Trinity Lutheran congregation in this city. His death, which occurred at about eight o'clock was caused by hemorrhage of lungs.

Rev. Koepke had been in poor health for a couple of years; from throat trouble, but was in his usual health when he retired Friday evening. When Mrs. Koepke called him on Friday morning, he answered, but shortly after, their little son, Theodore, called to his mother that his father had fallen to the floor. When Mrs. Koeple reached her husband, she found him dead.

Mr. Koepke was born on September 8, 1884, at Waterloo, where his mother, sister and brothers live. He married Miss Martha Wiegner at St. Ansgar on September 8, 1908. He attended theological college at St. Louis, Mo., and Milwaukee, Wis., and after being ordained as minister, held a pastorate at Buckeye for two years. Previous to that he had been superintendent of the Lutheran children's home at Hampton for five and a half years and was a member of the board of directors of the Lutheran hospital at Hampton. Recently he has served the hospital association as its secretary.

Rev. Koepke came to State Center to assume the pastorate of the St. John's Church and Trinity Congregation six years ago in September.

He is survived by his wife and nine children, Victor, attending Concordia Seminary at Milwaukee, and Waldemar, Paula, Ruth, Flora, Luther, Edwin, Theodore and Dorothy, at home.

The funeral services, which were held at the St. John's church on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, were the most largely attended of any in this neighborhood in many years. The pallbearers were H. H. Armbrecht, F. E. Fricke, W. F. Eggers, Julius Schuler, Harley Smith and Ernest Eggers. Honorary pallbearers were Henry Frohwein, Ernest Riese, Aaron Nolta and Ed Papenburg. The flowers were cared for by Misses Lucille and Dorothy Gerke, Alma and Amanda Hartwig, Leona Eggers, Irma Pfantz, Elinore Eckhardt, Freda Armbrecht and Lucille Riese. Rev. C. Hesse, of Eldora, was in charge of the services.

The body was taken to St. Ansgar Monday where a second funeral service was held at 1 o'clock from the Lutheran church. Burial was in the St. Ansgar cemetery.