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Dannel Ripperger, 50, of Lorimor, died Sunday, April 2, 2023, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 10 at St. Edward Catholic Church in Afton. Rev. Patrick Amedaka will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Edward Catholic Cemetery west of Afton. Open visitation will be 3-7 p.m., with the family to receive friends from 4-7 p.m. and prayer service at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Powers Funeral Home, 612 North Dodge Street, Afton.
Memorials can be directed to the family or Muscle Mat Wrestling. Online condolences can be given at www.powersfh.com.
Dannel LeRoy Ripperger was born Jan. 18, 1973, the son of Dennis Joseph Ripperger and Retta Marie (Griffin) Ripperger in Creston. He lived in Grand River, later moving to Afton area in 1978 and then to Dodge Township with his family to a family farm. He graduated from East Union High School in 1991. Following graduation, he attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he continued to wrestle. Following college he lived in Afton for a short time.
Dannel settled in Lorimor and worked for McAninch Corporation starting in 1994 as a laborer working his way up to heavy equipment operator. Dannel was united in marriage to Allison Dudney in Afton. They were later divorced. In his spare time, he began his own small business named Ripperger Services in 2008 doing a variety of different dirt work projects.
On Sept. 13, 2019, Dannel was united in marriage to Shelby Lynn Weis in Lorimor. Dannel was a member of the St. Edward Catholic Church in Afton. Dannel also was a longtime coach for the youth wrestling at East Union and the assistant East Union High School wrestling coach. In his spare time, he enjoyed sports, reading an enjoyable book, the Sunday paper and spending time with his family, particularly when it included playing games or cards.
Survivors include his wife Shelby Ripperger of Lorimor; mother Retta Ripperger of Afton; seven children: McKenna (Andrew) of Iowa City, Micaela (Brendon) of Phoenix, Arizona, McKayle of Dexter, Rylee (Riley) of Ames, Kiera of Phoenix, Kinzey of Murray and Paisley of Creston; three grandchildren: Tegan, Marshall and Maverick; four brothers: David Ripperger (Carrie O’Connor) of Dubuque, Dwain Ripperger of Murray, Nickolas Ripperger (Brandee) of Afton and Nathan (Christine) Ripperger of Dubuque; a sister Dennetta (Andrew) Groomes of Des Moines; eight aunts and uncles: Carolyn Hubatka, Michael (Karren) Ripperger, Penny Ripperger, Donald Keimig, Barb Mathews, Timothy Ripperger, Larry (Susan) Griffin and Lois (Greg) Hamilton; great-aunt Irene Ripperger of Creston; mother-in-law Susie Scherer (Rick) of Creston; brother-in-law Mathew of Creston; sister-in-law Stephanie (Brandon) of Creston; 23 nieces and nephews: Allison, Ashley, Berynn, Bonaventure (Bon), Cael, Connor, Genevive, Griffin, Hayden, Ignatius (Iggy), Jordyn, Kiera, Landyn, Lane, Liam, Maddie, Micah, Michael, Noah, Oliver, Owen, Rodney and Rory and many, many cousins.
Dannel was preceded in death by his father Dennis Ripperger; son Memphis Ripperger and grandparents LeRoy and Ruth (Wynne) Griffith and Marvin and Margaret (Mulica) Ripperger.