116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Koppes, Helen E.
Helen E. Koppes, 93, of 271 166th St. SE, Monmouth, died Monday, March 15, 2010, at 4:40 p.m. at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque. Friends and relatives of Helen may call from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, where a wake service will be held at 4 p.m. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 19, at St. Martin's Catholic Church in Cascade, with the Rev. Douglas Loecke officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Cascade.
Helen was born May 10, 1916, in Cascade, Iowa, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Klocker) Kelchen. She received her education in St. Joseph's School and the public school in Farley, and attended the University of Dubuque for one year. On Nov. 23, 1937, she was united in marriage to Raymond Koppes at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Farley.
Helen liked to draw and enjoyed playing cards. She made every child, grandchild, great-grandchild and great-great- grandchild a homemade quilt. She enjoyed working in her garden and flower gardens. In her younger years she enjoyed canning. She was known as an excellent cook, especially for her pumpkin pies, snow pies and homemade breads. She was a member of St. Peter's Parish, Temple Hill, and its Altar and Rosary Society.
She is survived by nine children, Lawrence Koppes of Dyersville, Merlin (Pris) Koppes of Cascade, Carl (Donna) Koppes and Paul (Sandy) Koppes, both of Monmouth, Phyllis (Marv) Ludwig of Cuba City, Wis., Donna (Jim) Schewe of Oxford Junction, Marilyn Staskal of Maquoketa, and David (Judy) Koppes and Dennis (Brenda) Koppes, both of Monmouth; a daughter-in-law, Judy Koppes of Cascade; 38 grandchildren; 75 great-grandchildren; two great-
great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ella Gross of Cascade and Mary Ostwinkle of Epworth; and two sisters-in-law, Lucille Kelchen of Farley and Rachel Kelchen of Dyersville.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Raymond Koppes on April 23, 1970; one son, Chuck Koppes on June 10, 2009; six sisters, Lucille (Joe) Till, Delores (Elmer) Weydert, Colette (Adolph) Feiler, Marcella (Joe) Greenwood, Norine (Joe) Turnis and Alvina Kelchen; three brothers, Ray Kelchen, Joe Kelchen and Ed Kelchen; and brothers-in-law, John Gross, Bill Ostwinkle, George (Marie) Schlemme, Herb (Erma) Koppes and Frances Koppes.
A Helen E. Koppes memorial fund has been established.
Online condolences may be left for the family at
Daily Newsletters