Luppes, Verl John (1927-1978)

LUPPES, MEYER, GRIEP, FLANNERY, HILL, HANSON, MUXFELDT, HOVERSTEN, NIXON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 7/22/2015 at 09:35:06

Daily Freeman Journal, Tuesday, August 15, 1978

F. D. Cyclist dies in Highview crash

Truck, cycle collide at intersection

Verl J. Luppes, 51, of Fort Dodge, formerly of Blairsburg, died yesterday afternoon in the grinding crash of his motorcycle and a semitruck driven by operator-owner Leonard J. Postma of Sanborn.

According to the Hamilton County Sheriff's department, Luppes was westbound on Highway 20. The semi was eastbound on Highway 20 and made a left turn to enter Highway 17 north.

Skidded Under Truck

In attempting to avoid the collision Luppes put the motorcycle down on its side but slid with the cycle headfirst under the cab of truck. He was pulled from under the truck by witnesses shortly before the gas tank of the motorcycle exploded, sending flames up through the truck cab. The truck driver was not injured in the accident.

The truck trailer was owned by Vanhof Trucking of Sanborn, and damage to it was prevented by the Woolstock fire department which answered the call. Firefighters Bruce Rholl and Bob Williams of Woolstock, assisted by Gerald Seiser of Webster City, succeeded in controlling the flames and prevented the diesel fuel tanks on the truck from exploding.

The cyclist was conveyed to the Hamilton County Public Hospital by the Webster City fire rescue squad where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Luppes is survived by his wife, Doris and three children.

Trucker is Cited

The time of the accident was set as 1:45 p.m. and property damage estimated at $30,500. Officers cited the truck driver Leonard J. Postma with failure to yield on a left turn. Officers investigating at the scene of the accident were Sheriff Jerry Farnham, Robert Olmstead and Scott Anderson.

Funeral Services

Funeral services for Verl Luppes will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Foster Funeral home with burial being made in the Presbyterian cemetery near Kamrar.

Verl John Luppes, son of Johnnie and Pearl Meyer Luppes, was born July 16, 1927 at Williams. He was reared and educated in the Williams and Blairsburg area.

On May 30, 1960, he was united in marriage to Lois Griep and the couple farmed south of Blairsburg, moving to Fort Dodge in 1976. He is survived by his wife; two daughters and one son, Mrs. Harry (Roxann) Flannery of Pueblo, Colo., Verl Luppes, Jr., of Denver, Colo., and Mrs. Terry (Cheryl) Hill of Denver; three grandchildren.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Pearl Luppes, Webster City; three brothers and four sisters, Johnnie Luppes, Orville Luppes and Kenneth Luppes, all of Blairsburg, Mrs. Gary Hanson, Stanhope, Mrs. Harvey Muxfeldt, Mrs. lona Hoversten and Mrs. Ronald Nixon, all of Webster City. He was preceded in death by his father.

Mr. Luppes was a member of the American Legion Post at Fort Dodge.