Richard Claire HALFPAP

HALFPAP, GARTZ, BARKER, NISSEN, LIGHTBODY, BLUM

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/1/2010 at 11:51:55

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
October 1, 1996

THORNTON, IA -- Richard Claire Halfpap, 73, of rural Thornton, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 1996) at his home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Salem United Methodist Church, Meservey, with the Rev. James Gouchener officiating. Burial will be in the Meservey Cemetery. Visitation was held Monday at the Salem United Methodist Church in Meservey and one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday. Service is under the direction of the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home.

Richard Halfpap was born Sept. 11, 1923, to Fred and Lydia Gartz Halfpap. His mother, Lydia, died in 1927 when Richard was 3 years old. He then made his home in Merservey with his grandparents, Ferdinand and Hannah Halfpap, until his father married Bertha Gartz Barker (his mother's sister) in 1929. They moved to a farm at Alexander. He graduated from the Alexander School in 1942. After graduation, he started farming with his dad at Goodell. Richard married Virginia Nissen Halfpap on June 10, 1950. They lived at Goodell for two years, then moved to the Lightbody farm northwest of Thornton in 1952, where they lived for 25 years. Their sons, David and Doug, were born while they lived there. In 1977, they semi-retired to an acreage north of Thornton. Richard enjoyed playing baseball in high school and on town teams later. He was a Cardinal baseball fan for years, collecting cards and listening to or viewing as many of their games as possible. In later years he enjoyed attending many activities of the grandchildren, custom baling, selling seed, going on bus trips and delivering Sunday papers.

He died at his home on Sept. 28, 1996. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Virginia; two sons and their wives, David and Nancy Halfpap of Cedar Rapids and Doug and Kayla Halfpap of Mason City; his grandchildren, Jason and Josh Halfpap, Colin Halfpap and Emily and Aaron Halfpap and their mother, Deb Halfpap; one sister, Berniece Blum and her husband, Charles, of Thornton; and many nieces and nephews.