Skipton, Larry Dale 1925-2012

SKIPTON, HOLMES, RITGER, MOOTHART, CHAPMAN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 7/17/2012 at 19:00:37

Larry Dale Skipton passed away in his home Sunday, July 8, 2012, of leukemia at age 86. He was born Dec. 30, 1925, to Hattie and Ola Skipton in Des Moines, Iowa.

Larry “Skip” graduated from Chariton, Iowa, high school in 1944, served in the military and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Drake University in Des Moines in 1950, plus another year in graduate school. He was the art supervisor in Grinnell, Iowa, public schools for two years before moving to Newton, Iowa, to join the Maytag Company as a drafter for nine years. A move was made in 1961 to La Crosse, Wis., where he worked for Trane Company for 25 years as a Design Drafter.

He served in the 99th Army Division during World War II in various theaters from 1944 to 1946 earning two Purple Hearts before his discharge on Feb. 14, 1946.

Skip married Shirley Ann Holmes in Newton, Iowa, on Sept. 12, 1948, and they had two sons and a daughter. Shortly after their marriage he joined the Newton Masonic Lodge #59 and later transferred to the La Crosse Frontier Lodge #45, where he was master in 1977, 1987, and 2001. He also was a past patron of the Order of the Eastern Star and past watchman of Shepherds of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, as well as a De Molay Advisor and a member of the Scottish Rite and Amaranth Lodges.

He is survived by his loving wife Shirley; son, David M. (Catherine) Skipton of Greenbelt, Md.; daughter, Ellen M. (Robert) Ritger of Onalaska; grandson, Adam (Shanleigh) Ritger; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Naomi and David Moothart of Littleton, Colo.; brother-in-law, the Rev. Bruce Chapman of New York; and a nephew, Michael Moothart of Castle Rock, Colo.

He was preceded in death by a son, Alan Bruce Skipton, and a sister-in-law, Arlene Chapman.

A public Masonic memorial service was at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at Dickinson Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 401 Main Street, Onalaska, with a Christian service following. Chaplin Kali Hayslatt officiated. Visitation was prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the La Crosse Frontier Badger Lodge #45, 118 Eighth St., La Crosse or Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.dickinsonfuneralhomes.com ~ The Newton (IA) Daily News, July 17, 2012