Leonard W. Gipe, Sr.

Leonard W. Gipe, Sr.

Oct. 8, 1920 - July 18,2013

BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Leonard W. Gipe, Sr. age 93, passed away at the Beaver City Manor, Beaver City, on Thursday, July 18, 2013.

Leonard was born Oct. 8, 1920, to Alphia and Katherine (Park) Gipe in Alma, Nebraska. He married Elsie Conley on July 27, 1940, in a Christian church in Norton, Kansas. To this union six children were born and became a very close and loving family.

As a young man, Leonard enjoyed breaking and training race horses. As he grew older, he worked in the fields picking peas, fighting forest fires and had many adventures with his brother, Oscar, as well as having the privilege of being in a movie, "Hudson Bay." He worked for the REA electric company and did road construction in Beaver City, where he met his wife, Elsie.

In 1941, he was in drafted into the U. S. Army, serving in England, France, and Germany. While in the army, he drove high ranking officials between front lines and headquarters. After he was discharged in 1946, he worked for farmers, as a janitor and school bus driver for Hendley Schools and served as a scout leader for the Boy Scouts of America. Moving from Hendley to Arapahoe, he took a position with the Nebraska Department of Roads as a heavy equipment operator, working for 31 years.

Leonard served in his church as a church deacon and Sunday school superintendent for 20 years. He enjoyed wood working, making miniature horse drawn carriages, as well as working with leather. Music was a huge part of his life, teaching himself to play guitar and singing old songs.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Elsie; daughter, Louella, son-in-law, Virgil; son-in-law, Clarence; daughter-in-law, Charlotte; grandsons, Mickey and Ronnie and eight brothers and sisters.

Survivors include children, June Brakhahn of Arapahoe, Lennette Kyle and husband, Albert of Kearney, Leonard Gipe Jr. of Holbrook, Susan K. Barnes of Holbrook, Karen Kurzenberger and husband, Ken of Scribner, Nebraska, along with 36 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, eight great-great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, lots of family and friends.

Services will be at Lockenour-Jones Mortuary Wednesday, July 24, 2013, at 3 p.m. with Travis Johnson officiating.. Interment will be in the Linden Cemetery in Hendley, Nebraska, with military honors. Visitation will be all day Monday and Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lockenour-Jones Mortuary.

Friends may leave on-line condolences at lockenour.com. Memorials may be left in Leonard's name at the Lockenour-Jones Mortuary in Cambridge.

Lockenour-Jones Mortuary is in charge of arrangments.