Josefa (Josephine) (Gangle) Zipper

Josefa ~ Josephine

Zipper (Gangle)

March 18, 1924 ~ August 9, 2019

Josefa Zipper died after a brief hospital stay on Friday, August 9, 2019 at 4:00 A.M.

She will be remembered and missed by her son, Alois Zipper, daughter Mary Stuber (Wayne), grandchildren, Grant (Rachelle) Stuber, Shannon (Shawn) Mann, Amy (Blair) Rasmussen and Russel Stuber, her great grandchildren, Nicole Stuber, Savanna Stuber, Mitchell Mann, MacKenzie Mann, Maddison Mann, Mikayla Mann, Mya Mann, Lindsey Rasmussen and Jessica Rasmussen, her sister Aloisa Shandl as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

Josefa was predeceased by her husband and partner Anton Zipper 1977, parents Alios 1931 and Maria (Hofman) Gangle 1970, older sister Sofia Hass 1986 and nephew Louis 1974.

Josefa was born in Austria in 1924 where her family ran a farm and a store.  Josefa always loved school and when done the required grade eight, worked as an apprentice at a cooking school where she learned to make the schnitzel, goulash, apple strudel and plum dumplings, friends and family enjoyed over the years.

Josefa met Anton when he came back to Austria on holidays.  He had emigrated to Canada in 1928 and homesteaded in the Handhills.  They got married here on Valentine’s Day 1951.  Josefa and Anton spent the next three decades working hard together.  A typiclal day started milking cows at 4:00 a.m., then doing chores for chickens, sows, pigs turkey and cows before waking us at seven for breakfast.  Dad already had 2 fields worked when we went by on the morning bus.  They taught us early to have fun working, talking and laughing as we fed pigs, carried water to the chickens, shoveled manure for cows, took 1000 turkeys for a walk, gathered eggs, separated cream, picked rocks and stacked hay by hand.

On Sundays Josephine’s family spent going to church, resting or visiting with a group of neighbours.  They had dinner parties, picked saskatoons, or went to the lake.  Josephine enjoyed helping at the Handhills Turkey Supper and Stampede, and Elmer School Christmas concerts.

Josephine’s favourite activity was staying home, loving it when neighbours dropped in to visit, have coffee and to taste her baking.  Josephine really enjoyed playing cards with the Handhills Whist Club in the 70’s.  As Anton slowed down and did less, Josephine continued to farm with her son.  She has farmed until now, still running the combine last fall.  Josephine loved her grandchildren and enjoyed visiting and loved to get together on birthdays and holidays.  She was especially tickled when they started helping seed and harvest.

“We love you Mom, Grandma and Ohma.

Prayers for Josephine will be held Monday, August 19, 2019 at 7:00 P.M. at St. George’s Catholic Church, 608, 1st St. W. Hanna.  Friends and family are invited to pay their respects between 10:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic church, 178 3rd St W., Drumheller, Alberta.  Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, please join us for lunch immediately following the mass.  Memorial donations may be made to Drumheller Area Health Foundation because everyone in the Drumheller medical system were so fantastic at caring for Mom, thank you to all.

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