Helmut was the fifth of eight children born to Gottlieb (changed to Gottlob) Keppler and Marie Meyer in Ralston, WA. There were 7 brothers (Paul, Herbert, Reinhardt, Helmut, Benjamin, David, Arnold) and 1 eldest sister (Louise). His father and mother emigrated from Baden, Germany in the early 1900s and settled in Odessa, Eastern Washington where Gottlob had a brother, Jacob, living in Cashmere, WA. the fertile wheat fields of Eastern Washington attracted many ethnic German farmers from the Ukraine and these immigrants were on the lookout for a German speaking pastor. The family moved from Odessa to Ralston in 1919 where three brothers Reinhardt, Helmut and Benjamin were born The family lived in Ralston for several years before moving on to other communities in Eastern Washington and settled in Wapato, Yakima Co, WA in 1934. His father's profession what that of a German Congregational minister. They moved then to South Dakota. Helmut, and siblings, Herbert, David and Ione Keppler all went to high school in Hosmer, SD where he met his future wife, Darlene Nicholas.
He lived in Ralston until his father, a German Congregational minister, moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota to minister to an all German congregation.
Helmut joined the Signal Corp. during WWII and was stationed in Alaska. His future wife, Darlene Louise Nicholas b. Oct. 4, 1921 daughter of John Benjamin Nicholas and Elsie Anderson, accompanied him by train to Washington State where he enlisted and they became engaged.
On his first furlough, he married Darlene Louise Nicholas June 19, 1943 in Aberdeen, SD where Darlene was working. They were married in the Congregational church by his father, Gottlieb Keppler.
After the war, Helmut returned to South Dakota. Darlene had stayed with her parents Johnnie and Elsie (Anderson) Nicholas tending to their first child, Dianne Lynne Keppler.
They lived in Pierpont, SD after the war. Then in the summer of 1953 they moved to Southern California first living in Compton, CA for three years but then in Torrance, CA until Helmut's death. Helmut worked for several aircraft corporations building aircraft.
He unexpectedly died of a heart attack while mowing his lawn in Torrance, CA. Helmut was a devout Christian and had daily devotions with his wife before his death.
Helmet and Darlene Louise Nicholas' children:
1. Dianne Lynne Keppler (Gordon) Duncan of Northern California, they were former missionaries with Wycliff Bible Translators in Mexico and Papua New Guinea. Gordon was then a elementary school teacher and Diane a middle school secretary. (3 children: Christy, Cindy and Bonnie).
2. Daniel Wayne (Linda) Keppler of Grandview, Idaho (children: Daniel L. Keppler, Jacob Keppler.)
Helmut was survived by Herbert Gottlob Keppler (1919-2011) of Seattle, WA ; David Gerhardt Keppler (1922-2012) of Concrete, WA .
He lived in Ralston until his father, a German Congregational minister, moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota to minister to an all German congregation.
Helmut joined the Signal Corp. during WWII and was stationed in Alaska. His future wife, Darlene Louise Nicholas b. Oct. 4, 1921 daughter of John Benjamin Nicholas and Elsie Anderson, accompanied him by train to Washington State where he enlisted and they became engaged.
On his first furlough, he married Darlene Louise Nicholas June 19, 1943 in Aberdeen, SD where Darlene was working. They were married in the Congregational church by his father, Gottlieb Keppler.
After the war, Helmut returned to South Dakota. Darlene had stayed with her parents Johnnie and Elsie (Anderson) Nicholas tending to their first child, Dianne Lynne Keppler.
They lived in Pierpont, SD after the war. Then in the summer of 1953 they moved to Southern California first living in Compton, CA for three years but then in Torrance, CA until Helmut's death. Helmut worked for several aircraft corporations building aircraft.
He unexpectedly died of a heart attack while mowing his lawn in Torrance, CA. Helmut was a devout Christian and had daily devotions with his wife before his death.
Helmet and Darlene Louise Nicholas' children:
1. Dianne Lynne Keppler (Gordon) Duncan of Northern California, they were former missionaries with Wycliff Bible Translators in Mexico and Papua New Guinea. Gordon was then a elementary school teacher and Diane a middle school secretary. (3 children: Christy, Cindy and Bonnie).
2. Daniel Wayne (Linda) Keppler of Grandview, Idaho (children: Daniel L. Keppler, Jacob Keppler.)
Helmut was survived by Herbert Gottlob Keppler (1919-2011) of Seattle, WA ; David Gerhardt Keppler (1922-2012) of Concrete, WA .
Helmut was the fifth of eight children born to Gottlieb (changed to Gottlob) Keppler and Marie Meyer in Ralston, WA. There were 7 brothers (Paul, Herbert, Reinhardt, Helmut, Benjamin, David, Arnold) and 1 eldest sister (Louise). His father and mother emigrated from Baden, Germany in the early 1900s and settled in Odessa, Eastern Washington where Gottlob had a brother, Jacob, living in Cashmere, WA. the fertile wheat fields of Eastern Washington attracted many ethnic German farmers from the Ukraine and these immigrants were on the lookout for a German speaking pastor. The family moved from Odessa to Ralston in 1919 where three brothers Reinhardt, Helmut and Benjamin were born The family lived in Ralston for several years before moving on to other communities in Eastern Washington and settled in Wapato, Yakima Co, WA in 1934. His father's profession what that of a German Congregational minister. They moved then to South Dakota. Helmut, and siblings, Herbert, David and Ione Keppler all went to high school in Hosmer, SD where he met his future wife, Darlene Nicholas.
He lived in Ralston until his father, a German Congregational minister, moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota to minister to an all German congregation.
Helmut joined the Signal Corp. during WWII and was stationed in Alaska. His future wife, Darlene Louise Nicholas b. Oct. 4, 1921 daughter of John Benjamin Nicholas and Elsie Anderson, accompanied him by train to Washington State where he enlisted and they became engaged.
On his first furlough, he married Darlene Louise Nicholas June 19, 1943 in Aberdeen, SD where Darlene was working. They were married in the Congregational church by his father, Gottlieb Keppler.
After the war, Helmut returned to South Dakota. Darlene had stayed with her parents Johnnie and Elsie (Anderson) Nicholas tending to their first child, Dianne Lynne Keppler.
They lived in Pierpont, SD after the war. Then in the summer of 1953 they moved to Southern California first living in Compton, CA for three years but then in Torrance, CA until Helmut's death. Helmut worked for several aircraft corporations building aircraft.
He unexpectedly died of a heart attack while mowing his lawn in Torrance, CA. Helmut was a devout Christian and had daily devotions with his wife before his death.
Helmet and Darlene Louise Nicholas' children:
1. Dianne Lynne Keppler (Gordon) Duncan of Northern California, they were former missionaries with Wycliff Bible Translators in Mexico and Papua New Guinea. Gordon was then a elementary school teacher and Diane a middle school secretary. (3 children: Christy, Cindy and Bonnie).
2. Daniel Wayne (Linda) Keppler of Grandview, Idaho (children: Daniel L. Keppler, Jacob Keppler.)
Helmut was survived by Herbert Gottlob Keppler (1919-2011) of Seattle, WA ; David Gerhardt Keppler (1922-2012) of Concrete, WA .
He lived in Ralston until his father, a German Congregational minister, moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota to minister to an all German congregation.
Helmut joined the Signal Corp. during WWII and was stationed in Alaska. His future wife, Darlene Louise Nicholas b. Oct. 4, 1921 daughter of John Benjamin Nicholas and Elsie Anderson, accompanied him by train to Washington State where he enlisted and they became engaged.
On his first furlough, he married Darlene Louise Nicholas June 19, 1943 in Aberdeen, SD where Darlene was working. They were married in the Congregational church by his father, Gottlieb Keppler.
After the war, Helmut returned to South Dakota. Darlene had stayed with her parents Johnnie and Elsie (Anderson) Nicholas tending to their first child, Dianne Lynne Keppler.
They lived in Pierpont, SD after the war. Then in the summer of 1953 they moved to Southern California first living in Compton, CA for three years but then in Torrance, CA until Helmut's death. Helmut worked for several aircraft corporations building aircraft.
He unexpectedly died of a heart attack while mowing his lawn in Torrance, CA. Helmut was a devout Christian and had daily devotions with his wife before his death.
Helmet and Darlene Louise Nicholas' children:
1. Dianne Lynne Keppler (Gordon) Duncan of Northern California, they were former missionaries with Wycliff Bible Translators in Mexico and Papua New Guinea. Gordon was then a elementary school teacher and Diane a middle school secretary. (3 children: Christy, Cindy and Bonnie).
2. Daniel Wayne (Linda) Keppler of Grandview, Idaho (children: Daniel L. Keppler, Jacob Keppler.)
Helmut was survived by Herbert Gottlob Keppler (1919-2011) of Seattle, WA ; David Gerhardt Keppler (1922-2012) of Concrete, WA .
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Helmut Keppler
1919-1986
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