Henrich Rippke

RIPPKE STADE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/14/2010 at 20:05:18

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Henrich Rippke
By Audrey Rippke

Heinrich ‘Henry’ Rippke was born Mary 23, 1849, in Germany and died July 9, 1906, in Woodbury County, Iowa. He married Sophia Wilhelmina Dorothea Elizabeth Stade in Germany. She was born June 22, 1852, and died July 19, 1940, in her son, Otto’s home near Moville. They are both buried in Arlington Cemetery at Moville.

Henry worked on the boats on the river while he lived in Germany. In this country he was a farmer. They came to the United States by boat probably in the year 1882. Their son, Otto, always said that he was five years old when they came. In Iowa, they first settled near Watkins. One of their small sons died of diphtheria and is buried there. Their daughter, Martha, was born there. Later they moved to Sioux City, where he worked as a laborer from 1886 to 1889, before buying a farm in Moville township on December 23, 1889, and moving to it. The farm is still in the family. Wilbur Rippke, a grandson now owns it. Wilbur’s dad, Otto, Sr, owned it before he did. Wilbur was born on this farm in 1920 and has always lived here.

While Henry and Sophia were living in Sioux City, their boys would go the hotels in the mornings to get the cows after they had been milked. They took these cows to graze down by the river, herded them all day and got them back to their owners by evening milking time. Each hotel had their own cows to furnish milk for their dining rooms.

Their children are William, Anna, Martha, Albert and Otto.

William Henry Rippke was born October 21, 1874, and died February 15, 1966. He married Hulda Amaler. She was born in 1874 and died in 1948. At one time he had a café in Anthon and later on in Correctionville. Their children are Pete, William, Jr, Anna Kurtz, Elsie Rowse, Marie Hodges, Francis Hite, Emma Munson, Dorothy Anderson, Henry, Carrie Rippke and Rose Rippke.

Anna Rippke married John Keller and they became the parents of John, Jr, Arthur Esther, Ida, Albert and Laura.

Martha Ida Louise Rippke was born October 3, 1883, and lived until June 24, 1972. She was married to William Nagel. Mr. Nagel died January 13, 1952. They were the parents of Ernest, John, George, Martha Weston and Marie Weston.

Albert Rippke was born July 1, 1893, and died November 23, 1982. He had been living in a nursing home in Holstein. He was married to Amanda Bartholoma. She lived from November 23, 1894, to August 5, 1979. Viola Meissner was their only child.

Otto Henry Rippke was born March 1, 1877, and died of a hart attack in his farm home on December 18, 1948. Otto married Margretha Christina Hansen on the 25th of May, 1904. She was born April 13, 1886, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and celebrated her their birthday on the boat coming to America. She died of a stroke on June 9, 1965. Both of them are buried in Arlington Cemetery at Moville. They were married in the home of the bride’s parents. That was Fritz and Catherina Schultz Hansen’s farm north west of Moville in Banner Township. That farm is also still in the family. Otto Rippke, Jr owns it now. Otto and Margretha were the parents of Otto, Jr, Leonard, Wilbur, Alvin, Sophia Halweg, Tena Zellmer, Pauline Pedersen and Margaret Byers. They all live in Woodbury County. There were also two little girls that died in infancy.

Otto and Margaretha raised their children in the Lutheran Faith. In the early years of their marriage, they attended church at the Lohse schoolhouse, located approximately six miles south of their home. Church was held once every three weeks, with a Lutheran minister coming from Midway. All eight children were confirmed there. Later they became members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moville. They were educated in the one-room school house that was on land joining the southeast corner of their farm.
Sophia, born April 16, 1905, married George Ludwig, on November 26, 1930. He died March 1, 1955. She married Louis Halweg, November 23, 1968. Sophia’s children are Loretta ‘Mrs Harley’ Behrens, Dorothy ‘Mrs. Herman’ Tool, and Margaret Ann ‘Mrs Lee Shay’. Merlin died when he was eight years old.
Christina Katherine, born May 27, 1906, married Gustav Zellmer, March 7, 1928. They live on a farm near Lawton. Their children are Arnold, Mervin, Mrs. Lorene Ricci, Lorna (Mrs. Marvin) Ebert and Lois (Mrs. Bob) Brown.

Pauline was born October 19, 1907, and married Clifford Pedersen on December 28, 1962.

Otto Rippke, Jr was born September 15, 1909, and married Lucille Keuck on August 15, 1935. Their children are: Sharon, married to Kenneth Norton; Linda, married t Tom Ludwig; and Ruth, married to Tom Chartier.

Leonard Rippke, born January 31, 1917, married Clara Rock, on June 11, 1946. Their children are Mary, Rippke, Jon Rippke, Paul Rippke and Lenise ‘Mrs. Richard’ Waples.

Margaret, born September 21, 1918, married Ralph Byers, November 6, 1941. Their children are Craig, Karen ‘Mrs Gary’ Iverson, Kevin and Clark.

Wilbur was born September 3, 1920. He married Audrey Crawford on January 6, 1950. Their children are Susan, Glen, Steven and LuAnn.

Alvin was born July 27, 1922. He married Marion Hamann on August 22, 1948. Their children are David, Neil, Diane ‘Mrs Leslie’ Meier, Dale and Byron.