Daniel "Donnie" Wipf

Daniel Wipf was born on January 30, 1945, in Bon Homme Colony, South Dakota. He moved to Spink Colony when he was 5 years old. He lived at Spink Colony until he was 14, spending the later years helping his grandfather in the hog barn. He turned 15 in Plainview Colony, helping with field work. When he was 22 years old, he married Anna Waldner and started his family. He spent one year tending to the dairy herd at a new daughter colony, Deerfield, 5 miles down the road. He returned to Plainview and worked as hog manager for 21 years there.

In 1992, Donnie and his family were sent to help build a new colony in Minnesota, called Heartland. He wore a number of different hats in those years; crane operator, field boss, mostly as hog manager, a position he filled in Plainview & Heartland for 36 years, winning numerous awards in production. Donnie loved talking business with other managers, feed salesmen and venders, making life-long personal friends with many of them. He retired from hog manager in 2007 and spent the next 12 years driving semi-truck.

Donnie enjoyed reading & politics and was an excellent checkers player. He loved children and spent many hours with a child on his lap and giving golf cart rides. He will be remembered for his easy-going nature, his sense of humor, lively conversations and warm hospitality. He spent the last few years battling illness before finally going on to his reward. Donnie passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family at the age of 80 years and seven days.

Donnie's loving family are his wife, Anna Wipf of Heartland Colony; his children, Anna Marie Wipf (Steve) of Heartland Colony, Donnie Jr. (Thelma) of Heartland Colony, Mike (Nancy) of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Joel (Kristina) of Athens, Wisconsin, James of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Janet Hurst (Jason) of Narvon, Pennsylvania; 24 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.

Donnie's parents were Joseph* and Maria* Wipf of Plainview Colony. His siblings: Joseph* (Leah*) Wipf of Heartland Colony, Ernest (Elisabeth) Wipf of Plainview Colony, Marianna* Wipf of Plainview Colony, Anna (Andrew*) Stahl of Plainview Colony, Samuel* Wipf of Plainview Colony, John* (Rachel) Wipf of Heartland Colony, Rose (Joseph) Wipf of Oaklane Colony, Clarence* (Eva) Wipf of Mobridge, South Dakota, Maria (John*) Wipf of Willowbank Colony, Gladys (Leonard) Kleinsasser of Evergreen Colony, George* (Magdalena) Wipf of Heartland Colony, Joshua (Sarah) Wipf of Plainview Colony, Timothy (Cynthia) Wipf of Plainview Colony, and Miriam (Thomas) Wollman of New Elm Spring Colony.

* indicates deceased