Alvin J. Luppen

Alvin J. Luppen, 86, of rural Marysville, KS, died Friday, August 5, 2016 at Community Memorial Healthcare in Marysville. Visitation was Wednesday, August 10, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, August 11, at the Stateline Immanuel Lutheran Church north of Marysville. Rev. Ken Kramer officiated. Vanessa Wergin sang “Amazing Grace”, “Go Rest High on That Mountain”, and “How Great Thou Art”. The pallbearers were Jack Wergin, Clayton Saathoff Darrell Gerdes, Ivan Bartels, Larry Luppen, Byron Thoreson, Ryan Tjaden, and Dennis Tjaden. Burial was in the church cemetery. Alvin was born October 19, 1929, at Oketo to George and Fentje (Saathoff) Luppen. In 1947, he graduated from Marysville High School. Alvin was a pitcher on the Lone Elm Baseball team during his high school years. He was nicknamed "Smokey" by Pastor Janssen, because he could "smoke the ball" past the batters at home plate. After graduating, Alvin went to work for Dempsters in Beatrice, worked for area farmers and laid tracks for the Union Pacific Railroad. He attended Fairbury Junior College for two years and took off a year to take care of his dying mother. He then attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Agriculture in 1964. In 1965, Alvin went to work for the Farmers Home Administration at Center NE, Beatrice, NE, and Nebraska City, NE, before retiring from the Marysville office in 1989. With the help of his family, Alvin was caretaker of the Stateline Cemetery and grounds for fifteen years. On June 9, 1963, Alvin was united in marriage to Marilyn Gerdes. To this union three children were born, Allison, Tom and Bob. Alvin was a member of Immanuel (Stateline) Lutheran Church. He served on the church council, sang in the church choir and belonged to the Lutheran Men in Mission. He enjoyed singing with the Stateline singers at Cambridge Place and liked playing cards with friends. Alvin was a former Lions Club member in Beatrice, Nebraska City and Marysville. He served on the Rural Water District Board for Washington County for twenty-two years. Preceding him in death were his parents; brother, Edward Luppen; and sister, Marjorie Luedders. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn; daughter, Allison (Jack) Wergin, Aurora, NE; sons, Tom (Michelle) Luppen, Herkimer, and Bob (Niki) Luppen, Hanover; sister, Lillian Fish, Englewood, CO; and grandchildren, Sydney, Paige and Vanessa Wergin, Elizabeth and Noah Luppen, and Ryan, Nate, Dean, and Will Luppen. A memorial fund has been established to Stateline Immanuel Lutheran Church and can be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alvin J. Luppen, please visit our flower store.