Harold C Nipe

Longtime Clark businessman, Harold C. Nipe, age 88, died in the Jenkins Living Center at Watertown on Monday afternoon, March 30, 2009 after a long illness. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2009 at the Clark United Methodist Church. The Reverend Warren Rhodes will officiate with music being provided by Dorothy Fuller and Roger Nordhus. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark with Military honors provided by the Smith-Cagley American Legion Post #60 of Clark. Casketbearers will be Roger Hurlbert, Odean Solberg, Matthew Nipe, Robert Curtis, Larry Dreher and Greg Overby. Ushers will be DuWayne Wallen, Robert Forest and Allen Smith. Visitation will be Sunday, April 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Furness Funeral Home in Clark and one hour prior to the service on Monday. Harold Charles Nipe was born November 9, 1920 in Elrod, South Dakota to Andrew and Mabel (Zugschwerdt) Nipe. His mother died when he was a toddler, so he and his siblings were sent to live with an aunt in Illinois. After a short time, he and his siblings returned to Garden City, South Dakota and were raised by their grandparents, John and Emma Zugschwerdt. He graduated from Garden City High School in 1939. He entered the US Army in August 1942 in Tacoma, Washington and served in the 378th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, serving in Iceland and the Philippines where he received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1945 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He married Maricie Curtis on August 19, 1950; she was a school teacher in Garden City who roomed at his grandmother's house. They had four children. Harold lovingly cared for Maricie during her 10-year battle with Alzheimers; she died in 1999. He began working for Christensen Implement and then opened his own store, Harold's Farm Store, in Clark, working hand in hand with area farmers until he was forced to retire for health reasons in 1973. He was a life member of the American Legion, serving as commander at Clark, and of the VFW. He was a member of the Clark School Board from 1970-1975 and a Clark City Councilman. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, wife, a brother and two sisters. He is survived by his daughter, Sue Nipe of Sioux Falls, and three sons, Mark and Joy Nipe of Lino Lakes, MN and their children Liz, Emily, Laura and Megan, Chris and Carrie Nipe of Madison and their children Matthew and Maddie, and Dr. Hollis and Marilyn Nipe of Watertown and their son Stacy. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Nadine Nipe of Renton, Washington, several cousins, a niece and a nephew Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com