Hattie Lupinek

Hattie Lupinek age 100 of Vienna, widow of Ralph Lupinek, died in the Wilmot Care Center at Wilmot on Thursday evening, March 26, 2009 after a brief illness. Funeral services will be THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2009 (resceduled from Tuesday, today) at 2PM in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna with the Reverend Kathy Hibbert officiating. Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller as organist with congregational singing. Honorary casketbearers are the Senior Citizens of Vienna. The active casketbearers will be Dustin & Michael Lupinek, Dale Peterson. Burial will follow in the Dixon Cemetery, east of Vienna. Visitation times are prior to the services at the Church. She was born on November 21, 1908 on a farm near Vienna, the daughter of John and Mary (Jiricek) Susanka. At a young age she moved with her parents to a farm near Naples where she attended school for 10 years. In the 8th grade she learned a trade to be a taxidermist. While learning and doing that trade she worked with mounting many animals including birds and pheasants, especially working with the feathers. She was united in marriage to Sylvestor Johnson and to this union a son, Gordon was born. When Gordon was 12, he (Gordon) died in a drowning accident near Watertown. On June 17, 1949 she married Ralph Lupinek at Pierre. The couple lived in Omaha, Nebraska for 17 years. While living in Omaha, she worked in a fabric store. The couple returned to the Vienna area where they lived for several years until his death in the early 1990's. She later moved to Watertown and lived in the Sunchase Apartments. She moved to Castlewood for a brief time and then last fall moved to live in the Wilmot Care Center at Wilmot to be near a nephew and his family. Some of her fondest moments were spent outside in her flower garden. She will long be remembered for that and all of her home remedy ideas. Survivors include a sister, Jenney Swisher of Marshall, MN, a step-daughter, Audrey (Peter) Lidberg of Clearwater, MN, nephews, nieces, 2 step-grandchildren and 7 step greatgrandchildren. Preceding her in death were her parents, son, Gordon, husband Ralph, siblings, John, Wencil, Charlie and Edward Susanka, Emily Christensen and Mary Monahan. Memorials would be preferred to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna. Services are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where you can sign an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com