Gordon L. "Gordy" Cripe

Gordon L. "Gordy" Cripe, 79, of Chippewa Falls ended his journey Jan. 21, 2017, at home under the care of family and Mayo Clinic Home Health and Hospice, two and a half years after being diagnosed with a rare cholangiocarcinoma, which started in the lining of his bile duct, compromising the liver.

Gordy was born on the kitchen table in the town of Drammen to Evelyn (Crist) and Merrill Cripe, in Eau Claire. On Aug. 31, 1957, he married the love of his life, Elizabeth Voegeli, in Chippewa Falls, and celebrated 59 years together. He worked at Johnson Printing until joining the family dairy farm partnership in 1965. He then became an owner-operator trucker before retiring and moving to Chetek in 1989.

Country music was always playing and he loved the wonders of the sky. He was not an astrologist, but had a knack for predicting the weather. He knew what the cloud formations and stars meant. He is going to the stars where his life will be pain free, and still twinkle, just as stars do. He enjoyed his family, farming, fishing, motorcycle excursions, cooking, and woodworking, making many beautiful works of art, many made to order, which are still being enjoyed by his family and friends.

Gordy is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Beth"; daughter and son-in law, Kym and Kris Krings of Eau Claire; son and daughter-in-law, Gordon "Monte" and Kim (Labrie) Cripe of Manchester, N.H.; grandsons, Zachariah Peterson of Elk Mound and Nathan Cripe of New Hampshire; great-grandchildren, Ashley, Jeramiah, and Alexander Peterson; step-great-granddaughter, Kayla Huggins of Menomonie; brothers, Don Cripe of Eau Claire and Bill Cripe of Sartell, Minn.; sister, Carol (Jim) Edwards of Sartell; sisters-in-law, Doris Cripe of Eau Claire and Emma Voegeli of Vancouver, Wash.; brother-in-law, David (Kathy) Voegeli; and many special nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; brothers, David and Kenneth Cripe; grandsons, Jeremiah and Nathan Peterson; father and mother-in-law, Wilbert and Anita Voegeli; brothers-in-law, John and William Voegeli; and sisters-in-law, Sharon and Lorraine Cripe.

Special thanks to his brother, Bill, and son, Monte, for their compassionate in-house care since December, the daily encouragement from his daughter Kym, and the exceptional care from Frances with Mayo Clinic Home Health and Hospice.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at First Presbyterian Church, 130 W. Central St., Chippewa Falls, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. at the church. The Rev. Dr. Karel Hanhart will officiate. Military Honors will be provided following the service by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Mayo Clinic Home Health and Hospice.

Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services, Chippewa Falls, is serving the family. Visit pedersonvolker.com to express online condolences.