Obituary of Mildred Mae Zirpel

Mildred Mae Zirpel, 90, went to her heavenly home Saturday, March 22 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.  Funeral service will be Wednesday, March 26 at 10:30 am at Faith Lutheran Church in Parkston.  Visitation will be Tuesday, March 25 from 5 to 7 pm, with a 6:30 pm prayer service, at Faith Lutheran Church in Parkston.  Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Parkston.

Mildred was born February 6, 1935 to Edward E. and Martha (Tiede) Leischner on the Leischner family farm 8 miles southwest of Parkston, SD. She was baptized with her twin sister on Easter Sunday, April 21, 1935, Huffnunsberg Congregational Church west of the family farm and confirmed on June 6, 1948 at Salem Congregational Church. She attended Welcome School District #17 school. She was united in marriage to Martin Zirpel on November 15, 1953 by Rev. Rueben Koehler at Salem Congregational Church in Parkston. To this union 6 children were born.  Mildred was a charter member of Faith Lutheran Church where she sang in the church choir, was organist for many years, and was a member of the Altar Guild and LWML.  She enjoyed crocheting, embroidering, doing puzzles, reading, fishing, going camping and attending her grandchildren’s school activities.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Martin of Parkston; 6 children: Daniel (Debbi) Zirpel of Parkston; Geraldine (Bill) Sudbeck of Parkston; Karen (Rick) Farris of Mitchell, SD; Donald (Bonnie) Zirpel of Parkston; Brian (Angie) Zirpel of Lennox, SD; and Thomas (Kristi) Zirpel of Parkston; 12 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren due later in 2025; sisters-in-law, Marian Gehring, Margaret Bertram, and Edna Stoebner; and a brother-in-law, Dennis Stoebner.

She was preceded in death by her parents, twin sister, Marlys Moege, and brother, Calvin Leischner; parents-in-law; brothers-in-law, Wally Zirpel, Leonard Reimnitz, William Bertram, Malvin Zirpel, and Herb Moege; 2 sisters-in-law, Lillian Zirpel and Wilma Reimnitz; and a niece, Carol Goehring.