Funeral Service
10:30 A.M., Friday, January 28, 2011
Trinity Lutheran Church
Estelline, South Dakota
Rev. Ann E.S. Webb, Officiating

Visitation
5PM to 7PM Thursday at Geise Funeral Home in Estelline

Interment
Goodwin Cemetery
Goodwin, South Dakota


LeRoy C. Koepke, son of Leonard and Eleanor (Johnson) Koepke, was born February 14, 1933 at Goodwin, South Dakota. His family moved to Watertown, South Dakota for a period of time before moving to Estelline in 1945. He attended school in Estelline and graduated from Estelline High School in 1951. He worked at Swift and Company in Watertown before moving to California for five years where he was employed for Tube Sales. Kepp returned to Estelline and bought the lumber yard in 1965. He later sold it and reacquired the business in 1969 and has operated it until the time of his death. He was united in marriage to Karen (Kortbein) Pape at Trinity Lutheran Church on September 15, 1992.

During his years in Estelline he developed Koepkes 1st Addition and built the Majestic Hill Apartments and he also developed Koepkes 2nd Addition on the south side of Estelline and built the South Apartments. He served on the Estelline City Council for a few years and helped develop the Estelline swimming pool and assisted many friends and neighbors with snow removal. He died on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown at the age of 77 years.

Kepp was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he served on the church council and as an usher. He also did many generous things for his children and step-children.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife Karen of Estelline; his children, LeRoy Koepke, Jr. of Estelline, Leonard Koepke of Perry, IA, Lynn Squashingroff and her husband Jerry of Estelline, LaDean Harrison of Brookings; two grandchildren, Triston and Bailey; his step-children, Irene McKinny, Fate Johns, Joel Pape, John Pape, Melissa Willhaus and Julie Riffe; several step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren; his sister Beverly Donnelly of Lake Poinsett, SD; three brothers, Larry of Lake Poinsett, Terry of Solvang, CA, Ron and his wife Kathy of Brookings; sister-in-law Nancy McCoy and her husband Alan of Sparta, WI; brothers-in-law, Dennis Kortbein of West Bend, WI, Kurtis Kortbein of Cedar Falls, IA, Brian Kortbein of New Lisbon, WI, Brad Kortbein of LaCrosse, WI; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Kepp was preceded in death by his parents, 1 brother Delbert and one brother-in-law Paul Donnelly.