Henry Fredrick KOEPKE

KOEPKE, MUHS, GERST, CUNNINGHAM, BRAKE, SCRODT, SCHRODT, LAWSON, CARSTEN, SCHAFFER, BAUMERT, COLBY, DRIVER, WESTON, FERRIS, CAMINE, BASSETT, MILLER, UMTHUN, REUTER, SCHELLPEPER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:41

July 28, 1931 ----- June 8, 1998

(Veteran)-- Henry “Hank” Koepke, 66

Henry “Hank” Koepke, 66, of Gold Canyon, Ariz. Formerly of Pilger, died June 8, 1998, in Mesa, Ariz. Services were Saturday at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Pilger with the Rev. Scot McCluskey officiating. Burial was in the Pilger Cemetery. The Pilger American legion Post 69 conducted military rites. Pallbearers were Sean Scrodt, Steve Camine, Donald Bassett, Larry Miller, Lee Koepke, Joseph Umthun, Cecil Reuter and Stanley Schellpeper.

Henry Fredrick Koepke was born July 28, 1931, in rural Wayne County, Winside, to William F. and Christina (Muhs) Koepke. He was baptized and confirmed in 1944 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Pilger. In 1931, the family moved to Hoskins and in 1932 to Pilger. After graduating from Pilger High School in 1948, he attended Wayne State College and later attended Long Beach State College, studying diesel technology. He served in the U.S. Army for two years. On Aug. 26, 1954, he married Evelyn Gerst in Norfolk. They lived in Wichita, Kans., in California, Altoona, Eagle Grove and Granger, Iowa. On May 31, 1992, he married Mary Cunningham.

He retired from Cummins Great Plains Diesel at Des Moines in 1994 and moved to Gold Canyon, Ariz. where he enjoyed his hobbies of golfing and riding his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle.

He is survived by his wife, Mary, of Gold Canyon, Ariz.; two sons, Michael Koepke of Des Moines and Henry, Jr., and his wife, Cindy, of Phoenix; one daughter, Cheryl Brake and her husband, Michael, of Des Moines; daughter-in-law, LuAnn Koepke of Urbandale, Iowa; son-in-law, Floyd Schrodt of Urbandale; four grandchildren; four sisters, Wilma Lawson of Pilger; Alma Carsten and husband, Warren, of Wisner, Berneta Schaffer of Redford Twp., Mich., Betty Baumert and husband, Gene, of Blair; sister-in-law, Doris Koepke of Pilger; two step-daughters, Vicki Colby and husband, Charles, of Des Moines and Carla Driver and husband, Wade, of Mesa, Ariz.; one stepson, Jon Weston of Des Moines; seven step grandchildren; one step great-grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Susan Marie; brother, Junior W. Koepke and stepfather, William Ferris. Kuzelka Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.