Louise O. Erpelding

Louise Erpelding was born on May 2, 1916 in Luxemburg Township, northeast of Watkins, to Dennis and Rosa (Klein) Erpelding. She was the 10th of 11 living children. Louise grew up on the family farm, attended District #50 country school in Stearns County and graduated from St. Anthony Catholic High School in Watkins. After High School she stayed working on the family farm until spring of 1941, when she went to St. Paul to work at the Miller and St. Joseph Hospitals in the dietary kitchen, for $1.00 a day plus meals and a room. In December of 1941 the WWII defense plants opened and Louise and her sister Leona took jobs in the New Brighton Ammunition Plant at $.87 an hour where they assembled cartridges of ammunition for military anti-aircraft. In spring of 1944 Louise went to California where her sister had moved previously. Now all four Erpelding sisters were in San Francisco. Louise and Margaret worked for Wessex Electric Heater Co. assembling thermostats which had a military contract with the Navy and Leon worked at the Naval Air Station overhauling aircraft engines. Eleanor worked for the California State Civil Services and convinced Louise to take a civil service test. She passed the test and was employed by the Internal Revenue Service in San Francisco for 29 years until retirement in 1978 after which she enjoyed traveling with her sister, Eleanor and friends. She also made many visits to family in Minnesota. In 2000, Louise moved back to her home state of Minnesota to enjoy life at family gatherings, nieces and nephews weddings, birthday parties, and holiday gatherings, and renew her membership with St. Anthony Parish in Watkins. She resided at Sterling Park Commons in Waite Park where she enjoyed the activities and was an avid jig saw puzzler. She has to re-acquaint herself to Minnesota winters of cold and snow, after living 56 years in sunny California and truly missed not having the street cars to get 'to and fro'. Louise is the last member of the Erpelding family to pass on, survived only by many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Peter, Ted, Frank, Alfred, Adolph and George Erpelding and their spouses; sisters, Eleanor Erpelding, Barbara Hennen, Margaret Ochs, Leona Andrew and their spouses; and two infant sisters. Funeral Home: Ertl Funeral Home 221 Church Street Watkins, MN US 55389Previous Events Visitation Monday, April 18, 2011 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Ertl Funeral Home 221 Church Street Watkins, , MN 55389 Service Tuesday, April 19, 2011 10:30 AM St. Anthony Catholic Church 171 Central Ave Watkins, MN 55389 cemetery Tuesday, April 19, 2011 11:15 AM St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery 170 Meeker Ave S Watkins, MN 55389