Elmar TOPPENBERG

TOPPENBERG, CHRISTIANSEN, SMITH, DAHL, HEIL, HARRISON, DAHL, STIVERS, CHALOUPKA, BARTON, FRY, CLARK, ADAMS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/8/2008 at 10:47:07

October 9, 2008
Eagle Grove Eagle

Elmar Toppenberg, 89, mail carrier who loved woodworking

Elmar Toppenberg, of Ames, Iowa, son of Ole and Elnora (Christiansen) Toppenberg, was born April 24, 1919, at Nevada, Iowa. He graduated from Nevada High School in 1937. In 1937, he married Carolyn Beryl Smith. She died in 1964. He then married C. Caroline Heil Dahl on October 23, 1965, in Ames. He served two years in the Navy during WWII on the LST #612. He was a mail carrier for 30 years. He was a member of Bethesda Lutheran Church where he ushered for 40+ years. He belonged to the American Legion and the Moose Lodge #520, and NARFE. He enjoyed woodworking.

Elmar Toppenberg died Saturday, October 4, 2008, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames at the age of 89. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Carolyn; parents; brothers, Fritz, Otto, and Hugo; son, Jackie Lee (Stanly Kay’s twin). Survivors include wife, C. Caroline Toppenberg, of Ames; children: Ron Toppenberg, Newton, Iowa, Judy Harrison of Camp Verde, Ariz., Jerry Dahl, of Clinton, Jan Stivers of Tucson, Ariz., Stanly Kay Chaloupka of Loveland, Colo., Christine Dahl, of Ames, Cynthia Barton of Ames, Randy Toppenberg of Eagle Grove, Iowa, Debbie Fry of Ames, and Nick Dahl of Memphis, Tenn.; sisters: Mildred Clark of Boone, and Olga Marie Adams of Loveland, Colo.; 26 grandchildren; and 39 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Opportunity Village or Hospice House. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, October 8, at 11 a.m., at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames, with Pastor Randy Gehring officiating. Burial was held in Ames Municipal Cemetery. Adams Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Ames, was in charge of the arrangements.