Hall / Neukirch Family Web Page

FRED and IVY (PIPPIG) NEUKIRCH
Prepared by: Hazel Hall in approximately 1975

Fred Neukirch, son of August and Mary (Handorf) Neukirch was born in 1879 at
Blue Island (a suburb of Chicago) Illinois. He moved with his family to Woodson
County, Kansas when a young boy. They lived there for seven years. The family
then moved to a farm they bought southeast of Marion Center, Kansas. It was at
this time (1904) that Fred married Ivy Bell Pippig and they farmed on the George
Ellis farm southwest of Cassoday, Kansas.

Ivy Bell Pippig, daughter of Lewis A. and Sarah Elizabeth Pippig was born in 1885
near De Graffe, Kansas. She went to here first school at Chelsea, Kansas and
lived in this area until her marriage in 1904.

Fred Neukirch and Ivy Bell Pippig were married in 1904 at Cassoday Kansas by
Reverend Cameron in his home. They lived on the George Ellis farm southwest of
Cassoday Kansas. It was here that seven of their eleven children were born.
Lewis August, Leslie Merle, George Ellis, William Keith, Fred Jr., Mary Elizabeth
and Marjorie Bell. In 1920 the family moved to a farm they had bought near
Lookout, Oklahoma. Gladys Lucille, another daughter was born while Ivy was at
her parent’s home north of El Dorado, Kansas in 1921. The other three children
Hazel Aline, Frank and Reigh were born at their farm near Lookout. They lived
here until 1944. They saw may rough times during the depression, drought and
dust bowl years. One of the highlights of their life at this time was a trip they made
to California with George and Evelyn about 1940 or 1941. Ivy got to see many of
here relatives she had not seen in many years.

In 1944 Fred and Ivy had a sale and sold all of their farm equipment, cattle etc.,
rented the farm to Fred Jr., and moved to a house they had bought in El Dorado
Kansas. While here Ivy worked at Allen Memorial Hospital and Fred worked at the
ford garage. They lived here until 1946 when they sold their house and moved
back to Oklahoma. They bought a ten acre place at the west edge of Alva
Oklahoma. During this time Ivy worked at the Munson hatchery and Fred worked
several years at a farm equipment store. Around 1949 or 1950 they built a new
house and garage on this property.

In 1952 Fred did not think he had much longer to live so nine of their children and
families and many other relatives helped them celebrate their forty eighth wedding
anniversary. Fred’s health improved and in 1954 he and Ivy celebrated their
Golden Wedding Anniversary. All of their eleven and families were home to help
them celebrate, and a family photograph was taken, the first in many years with all
their children present. Many other relatives were present to celebrate with them.
They rented the American Legion hall and served lunch and were honored with an
open house during the afternoon. Over on-hundred relatives and friends attended
the open house and they received many lovely gifts.

They kept busy and made trips to see their children. The longest trip they made
was after they bought a new Chrysler car. Ivy did all the driving and they went to
Joliet Illinois to visit Fred’s cousins Carl and Bertha Handorf, on to Akron Ohio to
visit their youngest son and wife Reigh and Mary Neukirch, back to North Platte
Nebraska to visit Fred’s brother and wife John and Nola Neukirch, and then on to
Greeley Colorado to visit another son George and Evelyn Neukirch.

Fred had not been in good health for several years, suffering from light strokes and
light heart attacks and in 1961 died of a heart attack at the Alva General Hospital.
He was a member of the Alva Nazarene Church and is buried at Alva. His
greatest pride was getting all his eleven children raised through the depression
years.

Ivy continued to live at the home in Alva, but as the years passed she was confined
to a wheel chair because of arthritis in her knees and ankles. In 1968 she moved
to Towanda Kansas where she bought a house and sold her home in Alva. She
decided to enter a nursing home, sold her house in 1971, and then had a sale
disposing of all her household items. The following Tuesday George and Evelyn
moved her to a nursing home in Alva Oklahoma. She lived in a nursing home until
her death at Share Memorial Hospital, Alva Oklahoma in 1974. She was a
member of the Alva Nazarene Church and is also buried at Alva.