Mary Ann Rippe

June 7, 1931 - March 25, 2022

A Funeral Service for Mary Ann will be held on Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in rural Ohiowa, Nebraska with PMA Jim Germer presiding. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 28, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with family present from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Farmer & Son Funeral Home in Geneva, Nebraska. Graveside Services will be conducted following the funeral service in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials are to be directed to the family to be designated at a later date. Mary Ann Soukup Rippe was born June 7, 1931 to Edward M. Soukup Sr. and Helen Sladek Soukup at Exeter, Nebraska. She passed away March 25, at the Fillmore County Hospital, Geneva, Nebraska at the age of 90 and a half years. Mary Ann attended rural schools near Milligan and Ohiowa and graduated with the Class of 1948 at Ohiowa High School. It was at this time when she met her high school sweetheart Ronald Rippe. After graduation, she moved to Lincoln and worked in her aunt and uncles café across the street from Union College. She was baptized and confirmed on May 28, 1950 by Pastor Diekhoff at St. John’s Lutheran Church south of Ohiowa, now know as Grace Lutheran Church. On June 17,1951 Ronald and Mary Ann were married and lived their lives around the Ohiowa area. Mary Ann and Ronald were married for 62 wonderful years before Ronald’s passing in 2013. Their family grew with the births of their two children, David and Rhonda. Mary Ann held many jobs in her life. Besides being a farm wife, she worked at the COOP elevator in Ohiowa and was an Avon Lady for many, many years. Mary Ann was an active member at Grace Lutheran for over 70 year, serving in various roles: teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, participated in Adult Lutheran League and serving as various officers of the Ladies Aid. Mary Ann and Ronald were past members of the Ohiowa Chamber of Commerce and the Thayer County Feeders where they went on numerous trips and made many life long friends. Her life centered around the farm, family, church and the Ohiowa community. Mary Ann possessed the amazing ability to write whatever you dictated to her at the same time with both hands one forward and the other backward forming a mirror image that she would happily demonstrate if asked. After Ronald’s passing, Mary Ann and her brother Mike spent many hours and numerous days together doing projects on the farm including fixing fence, tending cattle, and cleaning up the farm yard. She especially enjoyed going to Wilber Czech Days with her brother and wearing their matching Czech shirts while drinking a few choice beverages. She was a very tough lady. It was nothing for her to milk cows, fix fence, drive the grain truck and still care for Ronald in the later years. Mary Ann would fight with cancer three times in her lifetime. During her first battle, Mary Ann lost her voice but that didn’t stop her as she still could whisper what she wanted us to know and how to do it, a fact that Kevin and Veryl, and all of us who worked for her at any time can attest to. Though she lost her voice, she would win the battle and make a full recovery. Eight years later, her cancer returned and she endured chemo and radiation treatments bravely. Everyone believed that she had beaten it again, but unfortunately it returned for a third and sadly, final time. Despite the fact that we are all saddened by her passing, we should all take comfort in the fact that she lived a full, rich life full of love. While she was a tough lady, she was also a sweet, sensitive and caring woman who would stop what she was doing to do anything for anybody. She enjoyed the calls and visits from her neighbors, friends and family and always had the coffee pot or another cold beverage to catch up on what was going on in their lives or if they needed her to help move them from one field or another. Mary Ann truly enjoyed spending time with her children, David and Debra, Rhonda and Mark, her 4 grandchildren and their spouses, and her three great granddaughters. Mary Ann is predeceased in death by her parents, Ed and Helen Soukup and the love of her life, Ronald. She is survived by her son David and wife Debra; daughter Rhonda and husband Mark; grandchildren and spouses Seth and Katie Rippe, Ross Rippe, Drew Kendall and Sydney and Tim Hecke; great granddaughters Kara Hecke, Avery Rippe and Kourtney Hecke; brother Mike Soukup and Rhonda Bartels and many nieces, nephews, numerous other relatives and dear friends that she held close to her heart.