Ellen Aupperle

Ellen R. Aupperle was born July 26, 1914, at the home of her parents, William F. and Mary A. (Mehlmann) Maas. She lived on the family farm northeast of Massena her entire childhood. She helped around the farm with chores and helping her mother in the house. Ellen graduated from Massena High School in 1933.

On January 1, 1936, she married Oscar E. Aupperle whom she met at a dance. They were married at the family farm. She had on a beautiful new blue dress. They went on a 3-week honeymoon to Colorado. Their married life was spent farming north of Massena. They lived on the F D Wemer farm for 36 years. Besides being a busy homemaker, Ellen helped with chores and she also had her chickens.

There was always a big garden with a large potato patch. Her grandchildren didn’t mind with helping plant the potatoes. Picking them up was a different matter. They called Grandma Ellen “Eagle Eye” because she could spot any they had missed.

When pickup toppers came in they had to have one. They enjoyed many camping trips and fishing with friends. Ellen was always ready to go on a moments notice.

Her grandkids called her the greatest night crawler catcher around. She would hook up her hose and in an hour have a can of worms.

Ellen was a people person. She loved being around people, which is why she belonged to many organizations. Ellen was a member of Pine Grove United Methodist Church as well as the ladies group UMW of Pine Grove. She was also a member of the Eastern Stars, Tri T, Violet Garden Club and Sunshine Club. Ellen held offices in each of these at some time. When her eyesight began to fail, Ellen held the meetings at her home so she could still be part of the group.

After moving to town to retire, her one great pleasure was to go to the West Side Bar & Grill for coffee. Her other pleasure in life was getting her hair fixed weekly.

Ellen worked for the Quick Stop Café on Hiway 92 for several years. She also mowed the Massena Cemetery for a couple years.

While in her home in Massena, she enjoyed having her kids and grandkids around. She would dish up her favorite Root Beer floats. Everyone who came had to have one. Her next best thing was fried chicken legs.

In 2009, it became impossible to remain in her home. Ellen decided to enter the Griswold Care Center.

She was quite content there. Ellen loved to play Bingo and was especially proud when her great-grandchildren Alissa and Walker stopped after school and helped her with her cards. She always was anxious to hear about her great-grandchildren. Ellen kept up with all their activities and if they were on the radio she was sitting there listening whether it was a ball game or something at the county fair. She was proud of them all.

Her last pleasure in life was getting to know her 2 great-great-grandsons. Ellen would tell anyone that she got to hold the youngest when he was a week old while his brother held her hand.

Preceding Ellen in death were her parents, William (Bill) and Mary Maas; her husband, Oscar; her son, Raymond; her son-in-law, Larry Claussen; her great-granddaughter, Jordan Rose; and her brother and sister-in-law, Marion and Ruth Maas. Also many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

Surviving are her son, Ronald and wife Mary Ann; her daughter, Donna Claussen; and her daughter-in-law, Phyllis Aupperle. She has 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandsons.

Visitation and lunch with family will be Saturday, February 15, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic, Iowa, with the funeral service following at 1:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Massena Center Cemetery, Massena, Iowa, following the funeral service.