Cletus T. Deppe 1919-2008

HINGTGEN, DEPPE, HOFFMAN, ERNST, HUGHES, KIEFFER

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 4/1/2008 at 09:08:36

Cletus T. Deppe

BELLEVUE, Iowa -- Cletus T. Deppe, 88, Bellevue, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Bellevue, with the Rev. Stephen Meyer officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, at Kingery-Lemke Funeral Home, Bellevue. Friends also may call after 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the funeral home.

He was born on March 24, 1919, on a farm a few miles east of LaMotte, son of Louis and Susanna (Hingtgen) Deppe. He was a farmer all of his life and lived on the family farm since he was 11 months old. His mother passed away in 1920 of the flu, he then was raised by his maternal grandparents, Mike and Johanna (Hoffman) Hingtgen.

He married his next door neighbor, Florence Ernst, on Feb. 3, 1942, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Bellevue.

He attended Tete des Morts 3, rural school, a mile from his farm. He was a member of the Bellevue Knights of Columbus 1354 since 1938, as well as the St. Donatus Luxembourg Heritage Society and St. Donatus Historical Society.

He was a loving father and enjoyed baseball, especially the New York Yankees. He also enjoyed NASCAR, hunting and riding his golf cart around the farm and doing activities with his family.

Cletus enjoyed working the land and loved his farm animals, especially his faithful dog, LuLu. He liked to speak Luxembourgish and he collected many McCormick and IH antique tractors. He also enjoyed going to antique shows and in 1986, he was one of the original founders of the Deppe Threshing and Antique Day held on his farm.

Surviving are his wife, Florence; two daughters, Sue and Cleta Deppe, both of Bellevue; a half-sister, Luella Hughes, of Davenport; a half-brother, Ardell (Lois) Deppe, of Bellevue; a sister-in-law, Frances Deppe, of Edgewood; and a brother-in-law, Marvin Kieffer, of Bellevue.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Francis "Frank" and Lester, both in 1987; and a sister-in-law, Marcella Deppe.

The family would like to extend their heart felt appreciation to the Bellevue Ambulance and the nurses and staff at Mercy Medical Center, especially Dr. Luke Dolan.

Copyright (c) Woodward Communications, Inc. 2008, All Rights Reserved. Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Saturday, February 16, 2008