Helen Barbara Pepple

Helen Barbara Ottis Pepple died September 1, 2016 at Bethany on University.

She was born October 19, 1920 to Nora (Nelson) and Bernhard Ottis. She was baptized and confirmed in the Wyndmere Lutheran Church, grew up in Wyndmere and attended schools there. Helen graduated with honors from North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton and continued her education throughout her lifetime by auditing classes in music, theology, history and attending innumerable seminars and lectures.

Helen married Gordon (Pep) Pepple October 16, 1942, in San Diego where he was stationed as a dentist in the Navy attached to the Marine Corps. While he was overseas, Helen worked for Hendy’s in Sunnyvale, CA, a plant that made turbines for liberty ships.

As a young girl, Helen worked in the Emergency Crop and Feed Loan Office, a federal program for farmers, and later as a secretary in other federal offices; the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Office of Price Administration, the Metabolism and Radiation Research lab and the Area Office of Agricultural Research.

Helen was very active in her church, politics, and civic affairs, serving on boards and committees of the Fargo Moorhead Symphony, the F-M Civic Opera Company, NDSU Lutheran Campus Ministry, United Way, Charis at Concordia College, the Fine Arts Club, Open Forum, hospital auxiliary, and Music and Art committees at Olivet Church. She loved her family, church, Democratic politics, books, the arts, and playing bridge.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband, Pep; two brothers, one sister, and her daughter, Susan.

She leaves her sons, Jay and wife Kathleen Pepple, Rolf, and wife Elizabeth Pepple, and their children Eileen, Jacob, Robert, Bennet, Grace and Ava; son-in-law, Thomas Kinter, his and Susan’s two sons, Philip and Kevin.