James ‘Roger’ Lepa, 87

Sept. 12, 1931 —

Nov. 4, 2018

 

Lime Springs - Roger Lepa, age 87, of Lime Springs, Iowa, died on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, at home surrounded by his family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 8, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church with Rev. Jerry Kopacek officiating. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home in Cresco, Iowa from 4-7 p.m., and continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. Burial will be in Calvary Catholic Cemetery at Elma, Iowa.

James Roger Lepa was born on Sept. 12, 1931, the son of James and Pearl (Lathrop) Lepa in Ostrander, Minn. After graduating from high school, Roger enlisted into the United States Army and was in the 82nd Airborne. The first airplane Roger flew on, he ended up jumping out of and made over 20 jumps during the Korean War. He was very proud to be able to serve his country. 

After his discharge, Roger continued living in Florida and worked for a photo finishing company. In the early 1970s, he moved to Lime Springs and opened the Rendezvous Lounge. 

On Feb. 2, 1974, Roger married Patricia Gardner in Elma. He began working for the City of Lime Springs in the maintenance department, retiring in 1997. During his time as a city employee, Roger’s tractor could be heard from blocks away. He was known to have a pail of candy on his tractor that he would share with the children of Lime Springs. 

Roger was a passionate outdoorsman. He felt at home out in nature, fishing, pheasant hunting or tracking down a buck. When his health began to decline, he liked taking car rides with his dog to scout out deer and take in the beautiful Iowa countryside. He enjoyed many trips with his friends moose hunting and fishing at Leech Lake. 

He appreciated a good cup of morning coffee and prime rib for dinner, a high energy UNO or other card game and crossword puzzles. He enjoyed watching NASCAR and football games, especially the Miami Dolphins. 

The most important things to Roger were his faith, family, his dog Sammy and giving to others. He was a devout Catholic who volunteered as sacristan and lector at mass. He loved being with his family and sharing his passion for the outdoors with them. He gave selflessly of himself to his country, family and to the community of Lime Springs. Around Christmas time he would give candy and roses to community members who had lost a loved one or were not able to get out for the holidays. He also volunteered on the Lime Springs Fire Department. Roger was a very dependable man with a huge heart and a contagious smile. 

Roger is survived by his wife, Patricia of Lime Springs; children, J. David (Holly Burr) Lepa of Lime Springs, Sharon Lepa of Lime Springs, Leann (Jerry Severson) Lepa of Rochester, Minn. and Frances “Franci” Lepa of Rochester; his “adopted” daughter, Ellen “Poochie” Morton of Greensboro, N.C.; grandchildren, Shantelle Lebron of Orlando, Fla., Christina Stevens of Des Moines, Iowa, Riannon Carani of Cresco, Iowa and Colin Severson of Rochester; great-grandchildren, Ryder Frazier and Madison McCaffrey; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved dog, Sammy; and siblings, John Lepa, Marian Huffey, Lucille Dotzler, Lawrence Lepa, Dorothy Kratz and Dale “Bud” Lepa.

Online condolences may be left at www.hindthudekfuneralhomes.com.