Donald Eugene Kloepper, 84, of Effingham, KS passed away peacefully on Monday, June 20, 2022, at the DHR Hospital in Edinburg, Tx surrounded by his wife and children.

Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home, Atchison, KS. Burial will follow in the Lancaster Cemetery, Lancaster, KS. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions are suggested to your local humane society and may be sent in care of the funeral home. Condolences to the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.

Don was born on July 20, 1937, to Louis and Clarissa Jane (Walker) Kloepper on the family farm in Old Huron, KS.  He graduated from ACCHS in 1955.  While attending school he was a highly decorated basketball player and enjoyed KU basketball his whole life.

Don married Karen Sue Thompson on June 30, 1957.  To this union there were four children born.  He married Brenda Lee (Bolt) on September 10, 1999 and acquired two bonus children.  Don was passionate about and farmed most of his life.  He worked as the Road and Bridge Foreman in Atchison County, KS for several years until he retired in 1997.

Don farmed for nearly 40 years and was a member of the Atchison County Young Farmers Organization.  He served on the #60 School Board until unification, #377 school board and served terms as president and vice president.  He served on the Effingham Union Church Board and the Atchison County Farm Bureau Board.  He also served on the Atchison County soil conservation board. Don served his country in the Army National guard from 1955 to 1958 with the 137th infantry.  Don loved the places that Geocaching took him.  “Whopper and B” put out over 180 caches, including the Bridges of Atchison County series.  

Don was very active in tractor pulling using his Jollie Ollie and his John Deere 4020.  The story is still going around about the runaway 4020 tractor at the Horton Tractor Pull.

Surviving him are his wife Brenda and his children; Gregory (Lori) Kloepper, Kirk (Laurie) Kloepper, Jeanne (David) Weber, Shawn Kloepper, Wayne (Linda) Enloe, Robin (Robert) Hurd.  13 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, his loving dog Benji and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.   Don was preceded in death by his parents and six brothers and six sisters.