Edward Oepping

OEPPING, DEVORE

Posted By: Lynn McCleary (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 20:55:33

Muscatine Journal, October 24, 1949

Edward Oepping Funeral Services Held at Atalissa

Atalissa – Funeral services for Edward Oepping, 79, who died at noon Saturday at his home in Atalissa, were held at 2 p.m. today at the Christian church here with the Rev. Gordon Smith officiating. Burial was in the Moscow cemetery under the direction of the Griffith Funeral home.

Aided Underprivileged

Mr. Oepping who was known affectionately as “Uncle Ed,” was a bachelor, but he had been mother and father to a dozen under privileged orphan boys in the last 30 years.

Mr. Oepping left the family farm three miles east of Atalissa 31 years ago to build an eight-room house in town. He did all the work in bringing up the youngsters he befriended – even the washing, ironing and sewing. But he trained the youngsters to do their share of the housework, and in later years he lied to recall that all of his boys became pretty good housekeepers and all turned out to be good boys.

“It’s been a lot of work, of course, but I’ve gotten a world of satisfaction just doing things for them, I think I’m well paid for my work, for all the boys have been good to me,” he told visitors who came to call on him.

Mr. Oepping’s philanthropies were not restricted in the youngsters in his home. He has helped out needy children in other ways and has always fed anyone who came to his door.

Favored Education

Mr. Oepping once said that because he’d never had more than an eighth grade education, himself, he felt that he should provide an opportunity for others to get an education. He was a member of the Christian church.

Oepping’s parents, came to the United States from Germany when 15 years old. They were married at 23 and settled on the oold homestead more than a hundred years ago.

At his place in Atalissa, he kept a cow, some hogs and always had a big garden. For years, until illness showed him down, he maintained a flower garden on his lot to the edge of the highway.

Mr. Oepping was the son of Fred and Caroline Oepping and had been a resident of Atalissa for 31 years. Surviving are a sister, Lily DeVore, Sealen, Wash.; and two adopted sons, Charles and Fred Evans, both at home.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, and two sisters.