Kempfert, Frederick O. (1923-2004)
KEMPFERT, WESTPHAL, BECK, ENGEL, COVEY, BODE, PANTZLAFF, BUTH
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 2/10/2010 at 21:14:53
Pastor Frederick O. Kempfert - May 6, 1923 - June 21, 2004
Pastor Frederick O. Kempfert, age 81, of Alta, Iowa, formerly of Royal and Sanborn, died of cancer on June 21, 2004, at Sunset Knoll Nursing Home in Aurelia.
Frederick, son of Otto and Elleanora (Westphal) Kempfert, was born on the family farm at Maribel, Wisconsin, on May 6, 1923. He was baptized later that month at St. John Lutheran Church of Maribel.
He received his elementary education in the parochial school of St. John. He then attended Northwestern Preparatory School at Watertown, Wisconsin, for a year, spent the next two years on the family farm, and then again enrolled at Northwestern Prep., graduating in 1943. Thereupon, he attended Northwestern College of Watertown graduating in June 1947. He then entered the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Seminary at Thiensville, Wisconsin, graduating in June 1950.
On July 2, 1950, he was joined in matrimony with Esther Beck of Grafton, Wisconsin. Their union was blessed with a son, Elwyn, and a daughter, Lorna. In His Mercy, the Lord took Esther to Himself in November 1994.
Pastor Kempfert’s first assignment was as assistant pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church of New Ulm, Minnesota, from 1950 to 1952. At that time he accepted a call to a 3-point parish in northwestern Wisconsin consisting of St. Croix Falls, Centuria and Rock Creek.
In May of 1956 he accepted the call of St. John of Edgar, Wisconsin, and Bethlehem of Milan, Wisconsin. By the acceptance of this call he became a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
In the fall of 1960 he was called to St. John of Galva, Iowa, and was installed there as pastor in November. Here he served for 19 years, half of his active ministry.
After this he was at St. John of Sanborn, Iowa, until the end of 1985. He then entered semi-retirement status as pastor of Trinity of Royal, Iowa. In November of 1988 he fully retired and he and Esther moved into their own home in Alta. Since that time, however, he frequently was a pulpit supply pastor for churches in the area, and from January 1993 to the end of 1998 he was part-time assistant to the pastor of Trinity of Cherokee.
In the Iowa District West, he was appointed as a member of the Constitution Commission in 1974, being chairman from 1978—1994. Congregations he served as interim pastor were St. Paul of Ida Grove, Trinity of Odebolt, St. Paul of Alta, Zion of Ocheyedan, St. Peter of Newell, and Zion of Storm Lake.
On December 1, 1995, at St. Paul Lutheran Church of Schaller, he was joined in marriage with Clara (Covey) Engel.
Survivors include his wife, Clara; his son, Elwyn and wife Lisa of Aurelia; his daughter and husband, Lorna and husband Steve Bode of Schaller; five grandchildren: Brad and Brian Kempfert of Aurelia, and Traci, Brian and Becki Bode of Schaller; two sisters, Lorraine Pantzlaff of Greenleaf, Wisconsin, and Velma Buth and a brother Arnold Kempfert, both of Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and several nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles and step-relatives.
Preceding Pastor Kempfert in death were his parents, his first wife, Esther, and his granddaughter, Michelle.
Funeral Services for Pastor Kempfert will be held on Thursday, June 24, 2004, at 2:00 pm at St. John Lutheran Church in Galva. Burial will be in the Galva Lutheran Cemetery.
Friends may call on Wednesday, June 23, 2004, anytime after 4:00 pm at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Schaller where the family will greet friends from 6-8:00 pm.
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