Ervin "Shorty" Earl Koeppe

Ervin “Shorty” Earl Koeppe, 92, of Guthrie Center, Iowa and formerly of Ponca, Nebraska and Lawton, Iowa entered Heaven on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids, Iowa. A funeral service will be held Monday, October 18 at 10:00 A.M. at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel in Sioux City, IA. Visitation will be Sunday, October 17 from 3-5:00 P.M. at Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center, IA. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to www.meyerbroschapels.com. Ervin was born in Dixon, Nebraska on July 1, 1929 to Ena (Bauman) and Werner Koeppe. Ervin married Lucille Nobbe on November 24, 1954 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Martinsburg, Nebraska. They lived in the Ponca and Martinsburg area until the early 1970s when the family moved to Lawton, Iowa. Ervin served in the United States Army from July 25, 1951 to July 10, 1953 and fought in the Korean War. He earned the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. Ervin worked a variety of jobs over the years. He competed on the rodeo circuit from 1953-1956 as a bull rider. He was a farm hand from 1954-1968 in the Lawton, Iowa and Laurel, Nebraska areas. Ervin started at Iowa Beef Processor (IBP) in 1968 and worked there until 1996. In 1996 he began working at the Sioux City Airport as a member of their security team and left in 1999 when Ervin and Lucille moved from Lawton to Guthrie Center, Iowa. In his spare time Ervin enjoyed competing in and watching local tractor pulls. He also had a special love for baseball that involved watching and playing the game. The most important thing he enjoyed though was Nebraska Football. Ervin’s face would light up anytime someone would give him a new Husker item. Survivors include Ervin and Lucille’s children, Francis “Frank” (Vicki) Koeppe of Mapleton, IA, Joyce Purviance of Guthrie Center, IA, Scott (Cindy) Koeppe of South Sioux City, NE, Marcia Koeppe (friend Paul) of Guthrie Center, IA, Jeanne Ridens (friend Steve) of Guthrie Center, IA, and Penni (Gene) Schacherer of Hawthorne, Nevada; 20 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild to be born in December; and 1 great-great-grandchild; siblings Don (Doris) Koeppe of Ponca, NE and Werner “Tarz” Koeppe of Dumas, TX. Ervin is welcomed into Heaven by: his wife Lucille, his parents, Ena and Werner; sister Shirley and Bennie Beldin, brothers Bill and Betty Koeppe and William Koeppe in his infancy; his sister-in-law Alice Koeppe; one granddaughter-in-law Felicia Winkleblack; three son-in-laws, Perry Winkleblack, Wayne Ridens, and Ronn Purviance; a niece and nephew-in-law Linda (Robert) Pinkleman; granddaughter Kimberly Koeppe; and great-granddaughter Payton Hand.