Elmer James Kropf

Elmer James Kropf, 88, of Cove, died April 11.

Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Lighthouse United Pentecostal Church, 10104 West First Street, Island City.

Burial is to be at the Duchess Cemetery in Duchess, Alberta, Canada at 2 p.m. Friday with Delbert Birky officiating.

Elmer was born Feb. 15, 1920, to Levi David and Esther (Maurer) Kropf near Harrisburg. At the age of 13, Elmer accepted Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized and united with the Mennonite Church, to which faith he remained faithful until death.

On Nov. 3, 1940, he married Orpha Gingerich of Harrisburg. They lived in the Lake Creek area until 1960 when he, with his family, moved to Canada, living most of the time in the Duchess, Alberta, area. There, his wife died of cancer on Jan. 16, 1991.

In the later summer of 1991, he married the former Esther Miller (Gingerich) of Harrisburg. Esther presently lives in a nursing care home at Scio.

He is survived by two sons, Owen and his wife, Ella of Cove; and Ellis and his wife, Ruth, of Tilley, Alberta, Canada; and daughter, Barbara and her husband, Brian Maldaner of Tilley, Alberta, Canada; 26 grandchildren; 51 great-grandchildren; stepson, Harold Miller of Harrisburg; stepdaughters, Janice and her husband, Gary Kropf, of Harrisburg, Marlene and her husband, Douglas Ulrich of Albany, and Carolyn and her husband, Daniel Zook, of Culver, 13 step-grandchildren; 11 step-great-grandchildren; and a brother, Wilbur Kropf, of Pelkie, Mich.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two step-mothers, Lydia (Maurer) Kropf and Evelyn (Hilty) Kropf; and a grandson Barry Kropf.