Allamakee Biographies -Nursing Home Resident bios

"Resident of the Month"
Interviews featuring residents at the Postville Good Samaritan home.

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Transcribed by S. Ferrall for Allamakee co. IAGenWeb
Any notes following the biographies were added by S. Ferrall.

Matilda (Havelick) Keppler was one of seven children born to a farm family near Monona. They lived in the Beulah Falls area of Giard Township in Clayton County and the children attended country school.

Tillie, as she was called, worked as a waitress in Marquette before her marriage to Joseph Keppler, a barber from Monona. They had three sons, Eugene of Birmingham, Michigan; Thomas of Monona; and Joseph of Glendale, California.

Tillie came to live with us in February. Always a busy woman who "never sat down," she continues to be active at the Center. Tillie can often be found accompanying a fellow resident on walks around the Center. Her smiling face is a welcome sight to many of us who enjoy her company.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, May 7, 1980 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

Tillie died 4/27/1985, I did not find an obituary
Joseph Keppler's obituary [note that her maiden name is spelled Havlicek in his obit]

The spotlight this month at the Good Samaritan Center focuses on a couple who observed their 60th wedding anniversary in 1970 with an open house at the Elgin Legion Hall with all their eight children and grandchildren present except one family.

The couple, Mr. and Mrs. William Kerr, were married January 15, 1910 at the Methodist parsonage in West Union.

William was born near Volga, December 3, 1886. Anna Gruver Kerr was born at Elgin, January 18, 1892. He courted Anna with a team of fancy driving horses for about a year. She worked as a waitress in the hotel in Elgin, he worked on a farm for his father and uncle. After their marriage they started farming near Volga. Anna drove a team to Volga to sell their cream twice a week over muddy roads.

They moved to the Illyria community in 1916 and farmed until retiring in 1957. They raised a large vegetable and flower garden, enjoyed going to harnes races and visiting their children. They belong to the Illyria Community Church and after retiring mowed the Illyria Community Cemetery for three years.

Their eight children are, Mrs. Ralph (Leone) Shafer; Mrs. Cleve (Ferne) Bennett; Mrs. Virgil (Nona) Torson and Robert, all of Elgin; Mrs. Reuben (June) Light and James of Waterloo; Thomas of Raymond; and Clifton of Nashville, Tennessee. The Kerrs always enjoyed family reunions each year.

Mrs. Kerr moved to the home in April, 1972 and William in May, 1973, after living with his son Robert and family for 11 months. Anna is confined to a wheelchair but is cared for daily by Will who takes her outdoors, using his hat to shield her head from the wind and sun. Their devotion to each other is shown daily. When Anna is resting, Will enjoys taking part in all activities at the center.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, September 12, 1973 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

Notes: William died in 1977 and Anna in 1975. They are buried in the Illyria cemetery, Fayette co. Iowa
~Anna (Gruver) Kerr's obituary
~William Y. Kerr's obituary

The spotlight focuses on Earl Kiple as the January Resident of the Month at the Good Samaritan Center, Postville.

Mr. Kiple was born in Elgin, Iowa, March 21, 1896, attended the Elgin public schools and worked in and about his home town for a number of years.

On December 10, 1917 he enlisted in the United States Armed Services and served during World War I at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and later overseas in the 309th Aero Squadron in France.

December 29, 1920, he was united in marriage to Esther Reusser. The couple operated different farms near Elgin before settling on their own farm just off Highway 56, four miles southwest of Elgin.

In 1962 Mr. Kiple retired from farming and moved into Elgin. He worked at various jobs after retirement, including Field Man for the Canning Factory in season, assessed property for the county and for a time was mayor of Elgin. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, Elgin.

Mrs. Kiple died July 29, 1970.

Earl entered the Center April 27, 1973 and takes part in all the activities.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, January 2, 1974 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

Notes: Earl W. Kiple entered the service December 14, 1917, at Cedar Rapids, and was discharged December 27, 1918, at Camp Dodge. He served as a Private in an Aero Squadron with the American Expeditionary Forces in France from July 31, 1918, until Decmeber 10, 1918, receiving the Victory Medal and one sky blue war service chevron. Kiple received his discharge from Co. 7, 163 D.B. and was formerly assigned to 307 Aero Squadron. (transcription is from the Honoring our Veterans column in the Elgin Echo, July 9, 1986)

~Earl Kiple's obituary

Hilma Krambeer was born February 3, 1894 on a farm in southern Allamakee county. She was educated in the West Grove School and afterward worked at the home farm until her parents moved to Monona.

Many people remember Hilma as a clerk at the Department Store at Monona. She held that position for twenty five years and made many friends while she worked there.

Hilma especially remembers trips she took to Florida and Washington, D.C.

Hilma's family has always meant a lot to her and she spent many years taking care of family members who needed her help. She is helpful in many ways; even now, she assists other residents who do not get around as well as she does.

One of the newer residents, she is happy in her new home and we are pleased to have her as part of the Good Samaritan family.

She is the last of her family but she has nices who visit often; Mrs. Lawrence Baade, Mrs. Virgil Kaiser, Mrs. Ramona Krambeer and Mrs. Ruth Lenth are all very special to her.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, October 8, 1980 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

Hilma's obituary

The spotlight for the month of May is focused on a husband and wife who have been married over [56?] years. They are Ella and John Krambeer who were married February 18, 1919 at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Landt in Clayton County.

Ella was born July 1, 1888 in Clayton County and attended the Cherry Valley and Hardin schools. John was born December 18, 1885 in Allamakee County. His parents were John and Ida (Harnack) Krambeer. He attended the West Grove Country school.

The couple lived in the Luana and Monona areas where they were engaged in farming. John was employed at the Hoth Hay Mower Co. in Luana; they spent a year in California and a year and a half in Cedar Falls where John worked at the Wagner Manufacturing Co.

They had two sons, Harlan, who died in 1968, and James, who lived in Carroll. They have two grandsons, Lee of Monona and Todd of Carroll and two great grandsons, Rayne and Jared Krambeer of Monona.

Mrs. Krambeer had two brothers and four sisters, Alma Landt of Waukon and Mrs. Earl (Hattie) Reiners of West Union are still living. Bill, Rudy and Emma Landt and Mrs. Otto (Betty) Schult) are deceased.

Three of John's sisters are also deceased, Mrs. Henry (Bertha) Meier, Mrs. Rudolph (Mathilda) Bugenhagen and Mrs. Vern (Emma) Zieman. Hilma Krambeer lives in Monona.

Mr. and Mrs. Krambeer are members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Monona.

Ella's favorite pasttime is watching television and they both enjoy the special parties at the Center.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, May 7, 1975 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

~John Krambeer obituary
~Ella Krambeer obituary

Amelia Kugel is the honored resident of the month of October in Postville's Good Samaritan Center. Born October 24, 1890, in the first frame house in Clayton county, she was the oldest child of Otto and Anna Hamann.

February 22, 1916 she was united in marriage to William Kugel of Luana, and they observed their 50th wedding anniversary in 1966. Mr. Kugel died last year.

The couple farmed in Grand Meadow township until 1945 when they retired and moved to Postville. Her favorite hobby has been sewing.

She is a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville, and served as president of the church women. She is also a charter member of the Grand Meadow Country Club.

Her five children include Vernon and Donald Kugel of Postville; Mrs. Eugene (Eunice) Torson of West Union; Mrs. Keith (Gertrude) Lee and Mrs. Ronald (Bernadine) Blumhagen, both of Monona. She also has 18 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

She became a resident of the Center October 9, 1972 and enjoys the exercises and visitors.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, October 1, 1975 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

~Amelia Kugel obituary

Eldo Kurdelmeier takes the spotlight as the December resident of the montha t the Good Samaritan Center. Born December 3, 1891 on a farm near Monona, his parents were Louis J. and Alice Vendt Kurdelmeier.

He is the oldest of five children and a confirmed Lutheran. A sister, Mrs. Florence Matt and a brother, Alvin, both live in Cresco. Brothers Louis and Ray live in Harmony, Minnesota.

His wife, the former Lana Strein of Farmersburg, whom he married in 1914, died July 12, 1962. A son Lyle lives in Oelwein.

Mr. Kurdelmeier has had a variety of careers. A player of the cornet and alto, he spent much time as a teenager to middle age playing in the Monona and Farmersburg municipal bands and also played with a number of local orchestras.

After marrying, the couple lived on a farm north of Farmersburg, later moving to Gothenburg, Nebraska, where he operated and owned a drayline for a few years. Returning to Iowa he farmed in the vicinities of Monona, Luana and Postville.

During depression years he moved to Farmersburg and worked as a section hand on the railroad and did carpenter work. He also helped build the dam at Guttenberg.

In 1935 he moved to Monona and worked as a carpenter moving to Postville in 1937 where he employed a crew of men for all types of rural and city construction. He built a number of houses in Postville and took pride in the old fashioned barn framing, where he supervised men in the barn-raising days. A number of these barns remain standing on farms between the Monona and Calmar areas. He recalls the first barn dances that were held as a thank you to all that participated in the barn raisings.

He always liked family get-togethers, card parties and loved band and orchestra music. He also like to dance the waltz, polkas and square dancing.
Eldo enjoys all activities at the Center and looks forward each year to having his cousin's band, the Starliters, come to the Center to entertain on his birthday.

~Postville Herald, Wednesday, December 17, 1975 (column: Resident of the Month, Good Samaritan Center, Postville, Iowa)

~Eldo Kurdelmeier obituary