Lester Bippus

Lester H. Bippus, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home.

He was born Feb. 22, 1921, in Chicot County, Ark., son of Otto Franklin and Vera Poole Bippus. He and Frieda James were married Oct. 2, 1942, in Cape Girardeau at First Church of God. She died in August 1974. He later married Lillian Vanover in 1975 in Butler, Ind. She died in August 1984.

Mr. Bippus served in the Navy from Jan. 28, 1941, to Feb. 1, 1947. He was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. He received a Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, American Defense Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, Philippine-Liberation Ribbon, and Navy Unit Commendation.

After his military service, Mr. Bippus worked for Meyer Alberts Grocerer in Cape Girardeau 13 years. He then worked for a metal foundry in San Francisco.

In 1984, he moved back to Missouri from Butler. He was a member of First Church of God.

He is survived by a daughter, Janet Voelker (Coy) Willard of Cape Girardeau; a stepson, Ronald (Kathy) Vanover of Sellersburg, Ind.; a stepdaughter, Ruth (Doug) Meyer of Unity, Ohio; a daughter-in-law, Stella Bippus of Cape Girardeau; two sisters, Dorothy Schlessor of Burlingame, Calif., Wanda Johnson of Auburn, Ind.; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandson; five stepgrandchildren; and four great-stepgrandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Frank Bippus, and a brother, Otto Bippus.

There will be no visitation.

Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Butler Cemetery in Butler, with full military honors.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105.