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Alfred and Doris Crowle Kuper
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| Alfred "Johnny" Kuper, home on leave during World War II, visited his grandparents, Christopher and Anna Caroline (Iverson) Hansen, on their farm near Orient, Faulk County, SD Anna died in June of 1955, at Faulkton of complications from diabetes. |
Alfred and Doris Crowle Kuper |
Alfred John Kuper was b. Oct. 22, 1919 on the farm in Faulk County and
grew to manhood on the farms in Faulk and Hand counties, growing to be over six
feet tall as was the norm for the Joe Kuper siblings. He attended school through
the eighth grade, also the norm in those days. Alfred "Johnny" was stationed in
Australia before fighting in the Philippines alongside his brother Harold.
They knew each other was there somewhere, but not just where until they
accidentally bumped into each other during duty change. Alfred was discharged 19
Dec. 1945 and returned to South Dakota.
Alfred married Doris M. Crowle (b. 6 Sep 1825 at Saulo St.
Marie, Ontario, Canada) on at
SD. They farmed northwest of Hollobird until moving to Deadwood, Lawrence
County, SD in 1953. They were the parents of five children:
1.)
Marilynn Jean, b. 16 Apr 1948, Pierre, Hughes County, SD, m. James Robert Mills
27 Aug 1966 at Deadwood. Three children: Nancy Dawn, David J. and Jonnathan M.
They make their home in Oklahoma. 2.) Barbara Ann, b. 16
June 1949, Pierre, m. Terry A. Hansen 30 Aug. 1969. One child, Heidi Lynn. They
continue to make their home in Deadwood; 3.) Ngaire Elizabeth, b. 30 Oct. 1950, Pierre,
m. Wm. Cooper. One daughter, Jennifer; James Daniel (6'6" ... yes, the
tallest in the entire family!), b. at Pierre, m. Cheryl
, children:
, They make their home in . and Bonnie Kay, b. 19 Dec 1956, Deadwood,
m. Terrance H. Holle 1 Sep 1974 in Minnesota. Two children: Ginger Lee and
Wesley Scott. They have lived in Pennsylvania since 19 .
This family was one of those "one in a million" families that
has all of the love in the world to give and gave it freely. Alfred was such a
special husband and father. He worked in the gold mines in Lead for
years and as a result, contacted Black Lung D, leaving the family on 3 Feb
1983 at the Fort Meade Veteran's Hospital in Sturgis.
Doris
worked alongside her husband on the farm and as a nurse aide and for one of the
local jewelers in Deadwood before leaving her employment to stay with Alfred as
his health failed. In 1984 she suffered a stroke while visiting daughter
Marilyn. She passed away Nov. 21, 1989, at Deadwood of complications from diabetes. Both are buried in the
Black Hills National Cemetery
at Sturgis, SD.
Services held for Doris M. Kuper
Funeral services for Doris M. Kuper, 64, were held Nov. 27 at
the United Methodist Church in Deadwood with Pastor Chuck Horner officiating.
Burial was in Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Mrs. Kuper died Nov.
21 at Northern Hills General Hospital in Deadwood. A memorial has been
established to the Northern Hills Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
She was born Sept 6, 1925 in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada
to James G. and Ursula V. (Richards) Crowle. After the
death of her parents, she was raised by her aunt and uncle Daniel and Mabel
Rout. She attended school in Sault St. Marie and worked in her parent's drug
store.
On June 29, 1945 she was married to Alfred John Kuper in
Sault St. Marie. They moved to Highmore, where they lived for eight years
prior to moving to Deadwood in 1953. She worked at St. Joseph's Hospital
and Morris Jewelry then as a nanny for many Deadwood children and was known as "GrandmaK."
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary, Northern Hills
Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the S.D. Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Survivors include her four daughters: Marilynn (Mrs. James)
MiIls, Broken Arrow, Okla.; Barbara (Mrs. Terry) Hansen, Deadwood; Nyaire
Kuper, Yankton; and Bonny (Mrs. Terry) Holle, Greencastle, Penn.; one son, James
Kuper, Maple VaIley, Wash.; nine grandchildren; two brothers, and one sister.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband in
1983.
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Alfred and his girls, Marilyn and Barbara |
Siblings: Ethel, Lewis, Clarence, Josephine, Harold, Edna, Alice
