REPP, John Milton, Dr. 1921-2008

REPP, BATES, BIEMAN

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 11/5/2008 at 19:21:12

Dr. John Milton Repp, age 87, of Osage, Mitchell county, Iowa, died on Thursday, October 30, 2008, at the Faith Lutheran Home in Osage.

Funeral services were held on Monday, November 3, 2008, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Osage with Rev. Dennis Hanson and Rev. Roy Ott officiating. Burial was at St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery in Denver, Iowa, at 2:30 p.m. Monday with military honors at the grave by Acker-Matthias American Legion Post 653 of Denver.

John was born April 2, 1921, in Janesville, Iowa, the son of John F. and Effie (Bates) Repp. John graduated from Denver High School in 1938. He attended Iowa State Teachers College and worked at John Deere Company.

John married Violet Bieman in El Paso, Texas, on July 10, 1943. To that union, three children were born, John, Jr., Sam, and Sara.

While in the service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal, and several Oak Leaf Clusters. During the ten months in North Africa and Italy, he flew 52 missions as a first pilot of a B24. After his honorable discharge as a major, John and Vi moved back to Iowa, where he attended the University of Iowa Dental School.

After graduation, they moved to Osage, where he began his dental practice in 1953 and retired in 1984. John was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Osage, where he taught Sunday school, and served in various positions. He also served as president of the Osage Community School Board. John's love of flying led him to build his own airplane, and he also flew for many years. He and Vi were able to travel extensively over the years, and he had a great love and devotion for his family.

Dr. Repp is survived by his wife, Vi Repp of Osage; two children, John, Jr. (Nancy) Repp of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sara (Steve) Davidson of Orchard; daughter-in-law, Melita Repp of Tucson, Arizona; four grandchildren, Susan Repp, Peggy Repp, Dana Repp, and John Repp; three great-grandchildren, Barbara Thompson, Samantha Thompson, and Nicholas Brennan; and a sister, Ethel Surface of Cedar Falls.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Sam; four brothers, Maurice, Clayton, Donald, and Ross; and two sisters, Nadine Schmidt and Dorothy Rick.

Funeral arrangments were made by Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage, Iowa -- (641)732-3706.

[Mitchell County Press online, Nov. 5, 2008, www.mcpress.com ]