Elaine Zirpel, Parkston

Elaine Evangeline Zirpel, 73, Parkston, died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls.

She was born on Feb. 25, 1939.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at

Lutheran Church, Parkston, with the Rev. Kenneth Soyk officiating. Burial will be in Parkston Protestant Cemetery, Parkston.

Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. today at the church with a 7 p.m. prayer service.

Elaine E. Zirpel, the daughter of Otto and Hulda Frey, was born at the Shaw Hospital in Tripp, and grew up west of Tripp on Hwy. 18.

She was baptized and confirmed at the Frieden’s United Church of Christ Church at Tripp and was confirmed into the Lutheran faith at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Dimock, under the Rev. Leonard Eberhardt.

She attended elementary school at the Prairie Mound Country School through the eighth grade and graduated from Tripp High School in 1957.

Elaine married Norbert Zirpel on June 30, 1957, at Tripp.

They resided south and southwest of Parkston, and in 1964, moved to their present farm, 2 miles west and 2½ miles south of the Parkston Airport.

Along with raising seven children, she planted large gardens, raised chickens, ducks and geese, canned (pickles were her specialty), and baked (bread, rolls, and kuchen).

She also taught Sunday School and VBS and participated in the LWML and Valentine Luncheon projects at Faith Lutheran.

In the community, she volunteered in Farmers Union and Thrivent (AAL) projects for 30 years.

She enjoyed visiting with people and always made time for her children and grandchildren by cooking for them, playing cards and Arizona aggravation, and attending school activities.

Survivors include her husband, Norbert Zirpel; seven children: Charlotte (Gary Adamson), Centerville; David (Pamala), Sioux City, Iowa; Mark (Lori), Parkston; Marjo (Roger Soukup), Lake Andes; Bruce (Kara), Omaha, Neb.; Troy (Heather), Maricopa, Ariz.; and Kayla (Mark Proctor), St. Paul, Minn.; 21 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, one sister, Darlene (Marvin Holec), Tabor; one brother, Elmer Frey (Marlene), West Bend, Wis.; in-laws: Lillian Zirpel, Mitchell; Elmer and Luella Zirpel, Appleton, Wis.; Clifford and Rose Roth, Huron; Harold and Mary Ellen Mettenbrink, Sioux City, Iowa; two aunts: Mrs. Otto (Lorraine) Weisser and Mrs. Albert (Esther) Weisser; and 36 nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her parents, Otto and Hulda Frey; brother, Ernest; sister, Violet Thum; in-laws: Ray Thum, Marlene Frey, William Wenzel, Leonard and Johnny Zirpel, Wilburt and Audery Zirpel, Erwin and Linda Zirpel, Harold and Virginia Zirpel and Richard Mehlhaff; and seven nieces and nephews.

Memorials would be preferred in lieu of flowers.

Tags: obituaries, parkston

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