Chalmer A. "Sipe" Seiple - 1904-1985

SEIPLE, PTTERSON, SANFORD, SANDBECK, HAWKINS, TODD

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 3/26/2011 at 18:26:08

SOURCE: Waukon, Iowa August 1985
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)

Memorial services were held Wednesday, July 31 at Christian Life Church, Long Beach, California for Chalmer A. "Sipe" Seiple, age 80, husband of a former Allamakee County resident, Helen J. Sandbeck. Pastor T. Ray Rachels officiated at the services. Burial was in the Green Hills Memorial Park in San Pedro, California. Casket bearers were Alan and Ken Todd, son-in-law Hoyle Hawkins, L.C. Coe, Kenneth Tegland, and Dwight Watson. Honorary pallbearers were Don Krumme, a nephew, his brother Bill Seiple, the Rev. Vic DeGott, the Rev. Mike Gurze, Alfred Dorchardt, Jim Robison, Dave Rubin, Hamid Taimuri, and Tim Wilcox.

Chalmer died July 26, 1985 in Long Beach. Mr. Seiple was born in Bloomville, Ohio in 1904, the son of Franklin and Effie (Patterson) Seiple. He received his education in the Bloomville Public Schools and in technical courses during his 24 year career in the oil industry, which he began as a teenage laboror in the Oklahoma oil fields. In 1923 he married Evelyn Pearl Sanford and they had three daughters, one of whom died in infancy. They raised their children in Sanford, Texas where Sipe became the superintendent of the Henderson gasoline plant.

In 1943 he resigned his position in Sanford and moved his family to Long Beach where he took a job as a chief operator at the Shell Chemical Company in Torrance. Four years later he went to work in the plumbing and heating industry, from which he retired in 1967.

In 1944, the year following the family's move to California, his wife died. Two years later he married Helen Sanbeck, a co-worker at Shell. The became the parents of two sons, Franklin and Chalmer "Curt" Jr. He became an ardent Bible scholar and teacher. He was a member of a radio gospel quartet in Texas, and serving as a song leader and lay preacher for over 50 years. He and Helen were the founding members of the Bethel Lutheran Church in North Long Beach in 1947. In recent years he joined Christian Life church and the Sons of Norway Lodge.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Evelyn; infant daughter, Mary; a sister Aurelia and brothers, Frederick Seiple and Arthur Seiple.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; sons Frank Seiple of San Luis Obispo, California, Curt Seiple of Long Beach, California, and daughters, Mrs. Hoyle (Kathryn) Hawkins of Long Beach, California, and Margaret "Margie" Todd of Westminister, California; 4 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Edward "Bill" Seiple of Lakewood, California.