Verda E.L.E. Templin, 98, of Glencoe
Verda Emma Lydia Elizabeth (Graupmann) Templin, 98, of Glencoe, died Aug. 1, 2017, at Glencoe Regional Health Services Long Term Care.
Funeral services were held Friday, Aug. 4, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glencoe with the Rev. Nowak officiating.
Casket bearers were Paul Graupmann, Greg Ziemer, Cheryl Holum, Nevaeh Herby, Jerry Schimelpfenig and Kurt Schulz.
Interment was in the Glencoe City Cemetery.
Verda Emma Lydia Elizabeth (Graupmann) Templin was born May 14, 1919, in Glencoe, the daughter of Herman and Emma (Behlers) Graupmann. She was baptized June 1, 1919, and was confirmed in her faith as a youth in 1933 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Glencoe. She received her education at the District 6 country schoolhouse near Biscay through the eighth grade. In 2015, at the age of 96, at the site of her country schoolhouse, she received an honorary high school diploma from Glencoe-Silver Lake High School.
On Nov. 30, 1940, she was united in marriage to Heinrich “Henry” Friedrich Templin Jr. at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. After renting two farms, the couple was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning their own farm by purchasing his grandfather’s homestead. For 29 years, they produced Grade A quality milk with their widely respected herd of registered Holsteins.
The couple shared over 62 years of marriage before Mr. Templin’s death on Dec. 22, 2002. They had wonderful celebrations of their marriage at their 25th, 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries at their church. The girls often heard their father say, “The best thing I ever did was marry Verda.”
Mrs. Templin knew full well that women were equal to men and proved it in the way she led her life. She spoke often of the struggles and hardships of people in this country and others that she saw firsthand, beginning with her childhood in the 1930s, when her family would feed indigent people who were riding the rails. She lived her life following one of Jesus’ commandments: “Love they neighbor as thyself.” She was a founding member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, served as a Missionary Society president, as a 4-H leader, and was active in the Farmers Union. She always believed farmers had a strong role in being able to feed people here and around the world.
Mrs. Templin highly valued education and the arts and was proud that all four of her daughters attended graduate school. Beverly and Jennifer are retired teachers, Deborah Jean is a professional actor and part-time faculty, and Elizabeth is an Extension professor. Thanks to McLeod County Extension, the Templins hosted people from around the world at their Century Farm and at their house in Glencoe, always making sure to respect their religion and culture.
Following their eldest daughter Beverly being an AFS student in 1958, Henry and Verda expanded their travels internationally. In 1964, they traveled to Kenya to visit Beverly, who was teaching in a British System African Boys High School. On that trip, Mrs. Templin fulfilled a lifelong goal of walking where Jesus walked in the Holy Land. In 1977 and 1984, they attended International Farm Youth Conferences in New Zealand and the Philippines. Following the conferences, they extended their travels to Australia, Asia and Europe.
Mrs. Templin believed that prayer changes things. In 1924, as a child, she witnessed the power of prayer when her baby brother was at death’s door and survived. He grew up to be a man who respected her ideas. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said, “Please say the following about me: that I am a Christian and that I am going to a better land when I go, and that I would want everyone else to have that same hope.”
She is survived by her daughters, Beverly Templin of Glencoe, Jennifer Templin and her husband Francis Fahy of San Francisco, California, Deborah Jean Templin of Manhattan, New York, and Elizabeth Templin and her husband Mike Robertson of Stillwater; stepgrandchildren, Francis Fahy Jr. and Margaret Fahy Pinkham; and stepgreat-grandchild, Joseph Madrigali.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Emma Graupmann; husband, Heinrich “Henry” Templin; brothers, Harold, Achim and Hillard Graupmann; and sisters, Marie Mielke, Gertrude Jungclaus, Carmen Holum and Eldora King.
Arrangements were with the Johnson-McBride Funeral Chapel in Glencoe. Online obituaries and guest book may be found at www.mc
bridechapel.com.
