Donald Lipps

Posted

(July 5, 1929 - Dec. 7, 2017)

Donald Lipps, 88, of Cody, died peacefully in his sleep Dec. 7, 2017, with family by his side.

Don was born to John Lipps and Anna Marie Kammerzell Lipps on July 5, 1929, in Wheatland, the seventh of 11 children.

Don joined the Marines in 1952 and served until 1953 when he was called back home to help with the farm. He was very proud to serve his country and held the armed services in the highest esteem.

The family moved to Worland in 1954. Don went to work for Pepsi as a mechanic in 1978, where he stayed until his retirement in 1994. Don loved it there and often spoke about how everyone at Pepsi was like a second family.

He married the love of his life, Mary Snodgrass, on Feb. 4, 1962. Don adopted and raised Mary’s daughters, Carolyn and Joanne, as his own and in 1965 their son, Richard, was born.

Family was very important to Don. He and his siblings spent countless evenings playing pinochle or rummy.  He often took his kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews hunting and fishing. He always had time for the kids.

After retiring and moving to Cody in 1995, he was constantly finding old tractors to fix up. Don loved anything to do with farming, hunting, fishing and generally being outdoors. He worked part-time at George Farms.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; wife Mary; daughter Joanne; brothers Johnny and Raymond Lipps; sisters Frieda Glanz, Lydia Dixon, Irene Kiser, Ruby Roberts, Dorothy Lofing and Wilma Weber; one granddaughter; and one great-granddaughter.

Survivors include daughter Carolyn (Jimmy) Mitchell of Calvin, Oklahoma; son Richard (Sheila) Lipps of Cody; stepson Fred (Denise) Peterson of Cody;  brother Ray (Delores) Lipps of Casper; granddaughters Linda Hernandez, Colleen Wallace and Becky Lipps; five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a viewing Friday, Dec. 15 at Ballard Funeral Home in Cody from 9:30-11 a.m. A graveside service will follow at the Riverview Memorial Garden Cemetery in Worland Cemetery at 1 p.m.

A memorial service will be on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. at Ballard Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made in Don’s name to Spirit Mountain Hospice in Cody.

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