Eugene W. Rappold, 91, of Sumner, died Monday, February 5, 2018, at Community Memorial Hospital in Sumner.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 10, 2018, at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner with Rev. Joyce Sandberg officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, February 9, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Sumner and for one hour preceding services at the church on Saturday. Memorials may be made to the family for later designation.
Eugene William, son of William and Martha (Hoepfner) Rappold was born, October 12, 1926, in rural Fayette County, Iowa. He was baptized December 5, 1926, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye and confirmed on April 6, 1941, also at Trinity Lutheran Church. Gene received his early education in the rural country schools and graduated from Hawkeye High School. On November 16, 1947, he was united in marriage with Mae Westendorf at St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner. To this union two daughters were born, Jeanine and LuAnn. Gene worked for Pennington Supply, Creamery Supplies prior to becoming the owner and operator of the Sumner Locker in 1965. Following owning and operating the Sumner Locker for eighteen years, Gene worked at Meadowbrook Country Club in Sumner. Gene was a long time member of St. John Lutheran Church in Sumner, where he was very active, he was president of the Brotherhood, and served on the Cemetery Board and was a member of the St. John Couple’s Club. In addition to his involvement at St. John, he was also a member of the Light Plant Board, Sumner Volunteer Fire Department and the Community Memorial Hospital Board in Sumner. Gene was honored in 1998 as the Grand Marshall of the Sumner Day’s Parade. Gene and Mae were also recognized as the Honeymoon Couple of the Sumner Day’s Parade in 2010. The couple just celebrated seventy years of marriage this last November. Gene enjoyed wood-work, square dancing, golfing, horseback riding, and fishing.
In addition to his wife, Mae of Sumner, Gene is survived by his two daughters, Jeanine (Lloyd) Johnson of Tucson, Arizona and LuAnn (Steve) Schumacher of Tucson, Arizona; four grandchildren, Joshua (Lauren) Johnson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Angela (Ryan) Minnig of Englewood, Colorado, Jennifer (Nick) Rienstra of Tucson, Arizona, and Bradley Schumacher of San Francisco, California; six great-grandchildren, Andrea and Justin Johnson, Catherine and William Minnig, and Nathan and Ella Rienstra; and one nephew, Wayne (Cheryl) Wenthe of Hawkeye.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Melva Wenthe.
