Byron Leroy Lopau

Sibley, Iowa Byron Lopau, age 81 of Sibley, Iowa died Monday, April 27, 2009 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at United Methodist Church in Sibley with Pastor Douglas Harding officiating. Burial will follow in the Holman Township Cemetery at Sibley, with military honors by the George E. Mudge American Legion Post #324 and the William F. Allard VFW Post #7373. Visitation will be Tuesday, April 28th from 2:00 " 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 6:00 " 8:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Sibley. Byron Leroy Lopau was born on July 17, 1927, the son of Henry and Minnie (Kruger) Lopau in Pipestone, MN. He and his family lived on a farm near there until the spring of 1933, when they moved to Byrons grandfathers farm north of Sibley. He attended the local rural school (Wilson #4) through the eighth grade. After helping his father on the farm for a number of years, he received a draft notice in 1945 to go into the Army. He was inducted in the Army on February 2, 1946, serving a position with the Air Force. He went to a medical school for three or four months and then was stationed with a medical detachment transporting patients with airplanes from local site to a general hospital to fit their medical needs. He was honorably discharge in May of 1947, when the draft was stopped. After being discharged he moved back to Sibley where he began working for the city of Sibley as an Electrical Lineman. Later in 1950, he started to farm with his big brother for five years and then went back to work for the city again. After falling off a pole and getting injured, he worked as a Boiler Fireman for several years and then went back to the Electric Department. He then took a home study class to get his degree in Electrical Engineering and then started working in the Power Plant. On June 23, 1962, Byron was united in marriage to Evelyn Menage Sterler and to this union a step-daughter Claudia Sterler was welcomed into his family and a son Jeffery was later born. Byron became the Foreman of Electrical Department in 1966 and then on January 1, 1974 he was offered Superintendent of Utilities. He later retired on November 1, 1987. Byrons wife Evelyn died in October of 1988 and he remarried Alvina Brower in December of 1989. They lived in Sioux City, Iowa for a time and later moved back to Sibley. He served with the Emergency Management Agency of Osceola County for a number of years and in 1997 was elected to the position of Osceola County Board of Supervisors. Byron was a member of the United Methodist Church where he served as a trustee and sang in the choir. He was a member of the Sibley VFW and American Legion, and the Sibley Volunteer Fire Department for twenty years with five of those years as Fire Chief. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, playing cards and Rummy Cube. Byron is survived by his wife of nineteen years, Alvina Lopau of Sibley; son, Jeff Lopau of Irving, TX; step daughter, Claudia Sterler of Douglas, Wyoming; four step-children: Georgia (Richard) Davis of Santa Maria, CA, Rochelle (Jack) Beachy of Sioux City, IA, Jerry (Patti) Brower of Sioux City, IA and Randy (Claudette) Brower of Dakota Dunes, SD; eight step-grandchildren, fourteen step-great-grandchildren and one step-great-great grandchild; six siblings: Bernice Nachtigal of Sibley, Dolores Hulzebus of Camby MN, Violet (Leon) Voss of Lakefield, MN, Roger Lopau of Sibley, Robert Lopau of George, IA, and Marcella (Lester) Renken of Sibley; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, one infant brother; sister, Rosemary; and brother, Marvin Lopau.