Hilda Sippel

Memorial Services for Hilda Sippel, 99, of Groton will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 16th at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Groton.  Rev. Larry Johnson will officiate.  Inurnment will follow in Groton Union Cemetery under the direction of Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel, Groton. 

 

Visitation will be held at the chapel on Friday from 4-6 p.m. with a prayer service at 5:30 p.m.

 

Hilda passed away March 30, 2022 at Good Samaritan Society, St. Martin Village in Rapid City.

 

On July 20th 1922 the world welcomed a tiny but mighty little girl into the world.  Hilda Caroline Jahnke was born in a cabin on the family homestead to Frank and Anna Jahnke near Edgar Wisconsin.   Weighing in at 2lbs, Hilda was baptized at birth by her father. She was placed in a cigar box & was kept warm in a bread warmer of the wood burning stove. From that day on Hilda’s strength and determination sustained her throughout her life’s journey on this earth.   She even survived smallpox as a child.  Hilda attributed her strong faith & love of her heavenly Lord for her long & healthy life.   Hilda was never hospitalized except for the birth of her children.

 

While celebrating her 100th Christmas on earth, she recalled her happy times of her childhood of riding through the snow on a horse drawn sleigh & cutting down a Christmas tree.  Hilda was raised on a dairy farm and that is where she developed a deep love for cows, horses and other animals—even a pet racoon.

 

Hilda attended grade school at Edgar Country School & graduated from Athens Wisconsin High School in 1940. 

 

In 1941 Hilda married Richard Fliehs in Berwyn, Illinois.   They lived in Chicago for a short time where Hilda was employed at American Phonobis & Richard worked at Union Asbestos.  Both companies produced materials for the war.  Chicago is where their first child “Duane” was born.  Richard, a widower, brought 5 children into their marriage.  In 1944, with their little boy & Richard’s three younger children, they moved to a farm southwest of Groton, SD.  Hilda was known for her speed of milking cows by hand.  They had 4 more children before Richard died in 1960.  True to her birthright & her strength, Hilda & her children weathered two more winters on the farm before moving into Groton.  It was then that she started her employment at St Luke’s Hospital working the night shift as a nurse’s aid.

 

In 1967 she married Lester Sippel and moved with the 2 youngest children, Dale & Sharon, to Lester’s farm near Houghton, South Dakota.  Together Lester & Hilda raised Charolais cattle.  In 1978 they were awarded SD Charolais Family of the Year.  It was during this time that Hilda & Lester were able to travel & showed cattle at various farm shows in South Dakota, Colorado, and Texas.

 

In 1978, Lester retired and moved into Groton where Hilda worked part time as a nurse’s aide at Colonial Manor.  Lester passed away in 1997.  Hilda continued to reside in Groton.   In 2019, Hilda moved to Rapid City and lived with Mike and Sharon until March of 2021 until she moved into Good Samaritan nursing home.   While living with Mike and Sharon, Hilda enjoyed daily visits from her grandchildren and regular tours of Bear Country and the Wildlife Loop near Custer.   She loved going to all their various events and activities.  She was thankful to be living in their home during the Covid Pandemic.

 

Hilda was happiest when surrounded by her family.  She was well known for her sweet tooth and her love of baking. She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Groton for 78 years.    Her mission in life was to; teach her children and grandchildren to be honest and considerate of others and to put their trust in Jesus our Savior. 

 

Hilda is survived by her children: Duane (Rhonda) Fliehs, Diane Hickenbotham (Ron Sieler), Dale (Claire) Fliehs, Sharon (Mike) Dell, and daughter-in-law Mary Kay Fliehs.

 

Stepchildren: Richard (Judy) Fliehs Jr., Doris Briggs.

 

Grandchildren: Wendy Fliehs, Jeff (Sarah) Fliehs, Jordan (Ashley) Fliehs, Abby (Patrick) McCann, Rich (Heather) Fliehs, Becky (Eric) Larson, Scott (Gina) Hickenbotham, Christa Hickenbotham, Alisha Hickenbotham (Jay Wittenberg), Ryan Fliehs (Brittney Eide), Jesse (Krissi), Zak, Shannon Zak (Amy Dinger), Chad Dell, Jessica (Jamie) Higgins, Christopher (Lynlee) Dell.

 

Great Grandchildren:  Karissa (Randy Nguyen) Fliehs, William Plummer, Tyler and Jacob Johnson, Harrison, Elinor and William McCann, Connor and Lauren Larson, Adam, Samuel and Anna Fliehs, Alexa Hickenbotham, Ben and Max Hickenbotham, Jayden, Jacob, and Karson Zak, Caysen and Sutten Eide, Kierstyn (Ethan) Parr, Isabell, Wesley, Charlotte, and Amelia Higgins.

 

Great Great Grandchild: Camden Nguyen.   

 

Hilda is also survived by a nephew Neal (Ann) Koepke and Aledith Tottschalk.  She is also survived by many other beloved Fliehs and Sippel family members. 

 

Hilda is preceded in death by her first husband Richard Fliehs Sr. and her second husband Lester Sippel, her son Darrel Fliehs, her grandson John Hickenbotham, her parents Frank, and Anna (Schwinge) Jahnke, an infant brother Frank, her sister Edith Koepke.  Stepchildren: Betty Ann Fliehs, Arvilla (Al) Goss, Harvey (Bernice) Fliehs, and step son-in-law Carlmon Briggs, grandson Daniel Fliehs.  Her brothers-in-law; Emery, Ralph and Arnold Sippel, Robert, Emil & Edward Fliehs, her sisters-in-law Edith Hughes, Marlys Sippel;  Frieda, Ida, Louise Fliehs, Art and Tillie Pecher and her special companion Tiger the cat.

 

The family would like to thank the Groton community for always making Hilda feel so loved as she always called Groton her home.

 

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

 

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