Tekippe, Paul Henry 1918-2009
TEKIPPE, DRILLING, TIMP, REDDINGTON, SKOLNIK, LEAH, KUBOUSHEK, BOHR
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/10/2012 at 12:47:10
Paul Tekippe, age 90, of Fort Atkinson, Iowa, died on Thursday, April 9, 2009, at the Ossian Senior Hospice in Ossian, Iowa.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, in Fort Atkinson, Iowa with the Rev. David Beckman presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Friends may call from 3:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday and until 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning at the Schluter-Balik Funeral Home, Chekal Chapel, in Fort Atkinson, Iowa. There will be a rosary at 4:00 and a scripture service at 5:00 at the funeral home on Monday.
Paul Henry Tekippe was born August 4, 1918, on the Tekippe homestead, to William and Mary (Drilling) Tekippe. He graduated from eighth grade at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic School, Festina, and then worked on the family farm until he married Seraphia Timp at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Calmar, on February 25, 1943. Together they farmed the home place, milking cows, tending pigs, beef cattle, harvesting field crops, and a garden that fed their growing family. Paul and Raphie raised six children and farmed until 1990, when Linus married and took over the farm. They built a retirement home in Fort Atkinson, where they had belonged to the parish since early in their married life, when a change in the county road made them closer to Fort Atkinson than to Festina, and retired there. He still enjoyed going to the farm to help out almost every day, especially driving tractor, for the next ten years, while his health was good.
Paul was an active member of his church, St. John Nepomucene, spending hours at the fryer for many fish fries, and supporting all events. He was active in community leadership throughout his life. When a young man, he and his brothers and some friends formed the Turkey River Rod and Gun Club, to promote love of the outdoors, and conservation. He served for fifteen years on the board of the Fort Atkinson Co-op, as his father had before him. He served fourteen years on the Winneshiek County Conservation Board, taking terms as president, vice-president, and secretary. Because he placed a high value on being an active citizen, for many years he left his work in the fields to serve as election judge. He was proud of his pins naming him 50-year member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Order of Foresters. In addition to farming he was a Crow’s seed corn dealer for many years, and a field assessor for the Winneshiek County property tax office.
Paul was cut out to be a farmer, delighting in life outdoors. In his 30s he pitched for the Fort Atkinson softball team. He rooted for the Cubs his whole life. Hunting, fishing, and looking for mushrooms were activities he enjoyed. At the end of the grain harvest he and brothers and his friends often made a hunting or fishing trip to Canada or Wyoming, where he made lifelong friends. The family freezer was kept stocked with wild game and fish. He also had a supply of adventure stories from those trips, which he regaled an audience at the slightest invitation.
He was proud of his grandchildren, happy for the times they could gather around. He said he could enjoy them more than he had his children when they were young, because he didn’t have the same responsibility for them. He loved the Tekippe homestead on the Turkey River, which has been in the family since 1869. He studied and practiced conservation techniques and built ponds to improve it. Family reunions and other gatherings at the Tekippe Park on the river are local legend.
Paul’s survivors include his daughter: Sister Patricia Tekippe, FSPA, St. Paul, MN. Four sons: Dale (Linda) Tekippe, Indianapolis, IN; William (Jan) Tekippe, Minnesota City, MN; Ronald (Joanie) Tekippe, Council Bluffs, IA; and Linus (Paula) Tekippe, Fort Atkinson. Ten grandchildren: Johnathan Tekippe, Emily (Aaron) Reddington, Sarah (Derek Skolnik) Tekippe, Tina, Leah, Eric, Jessica, Kelsey, Travis and Matthew Tekippe. Three sisters-in-law: Dolores (Raymond) Kuboushek, Decorah; Arlene (Wilfred) Bohr, Ridgeway; Elsie (Donald) Timp, Calmar.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents: William and Mary (Drilling) Tekippe. His wife: Seraphia Tekippe on December 2, 2002, and a son, Kenneth: on March 4, 2009. One sister: Sister Sarah Tekippe, OSB. Four brothers: Leo and wife Gladys Tekippe; Father Owen Tekippe, OSB; Roman and wife Florence Tekippe; and Nilus and wife Dorothy Tekippe. Four brothers-in-law: Vendolin and wife Rita Timp, Donald Timp, Raymond Kuboushek and Wilfred Bohr.
Source: Schluter - Balik Funeral Home database
St. Johns Catholic Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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