George Merrill Lauppe

Memorial services for George Merrill Lauppe, 88, Lawrence, KS will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023, at First United Methodist Church in Lawrence, KS.  We will be gathering to see friends and family at 10:00 a.m. in the gathering area at the church. Friends and family with antique cars are welcome to park around the church starting at 10:00 a.m.

George passed away on April 10, 2023, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.  Graveside services will be held in Burden Cemetery on June 2 at 11:00 a.m.  followed by a lunch meal at the Tisdale Methodist Church east of Winfield, Kansas.

George was born on January 2, 1935, in Winfield, KS, the son of Harold Omer and Ione Elizabeth (Ruggles) Lauppe.  In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his sister, Darlene Hart, and brother, Dwain Lauppe.

He married Hazel Marceil Ring on December 27, 1955, in Burden, KS and she resides in Lawrence.  Other survivors include his children, George/Monte Lauppe (Annette) and Sonya Anders (Dale), sister-in-law, Jaurene Lauppe, brother-in-law, Neal Hart, grandchildren, Shane Lauppe (Andrea), Craig Lauppe (Lindsay), Austin Anders, Aaron Anders (MiKayla), Augustus Anders, and great-grandchildren, Owen, Cora, Everly, Harper, Adam and AuRoara.

George enjoyed spending time with his family, teaching, woodworking, antique cars, and sharing stories with friends and family members. He passed on many of these skills to his family members.

George was raised on a farm near Burden, KS, attended the Silver Creek one-room grade school, was a Cowley County 4-H member, and graduated from Burden HS in 1953.  He pursued higher education at Arkansas City Jr. College, BS degree in education from Southwestern College, and Masters from Pittsburg State University.  He served 10 years in the Army Reserves.

Working for other local farmers, George saved money for college. While attending Southwestern College, he worked the night shift at the Armour and Company in their creamery department. After completing his education, he took a position at Haskell High School, currently Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, where he taught Driver’s Education, Drafting, Blueprint Reading, and worked in the Dean of Instruction’s office for 28 years. After retirement, he worked as an appraiser for Douglas County for several years before his final retirement.

Restoring antique cars was George’s passion. He helped restore the 1921 Milburn light Electric Car which is on display at the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, his 1917 Liberty, 1926 Chevy Coupe, 1929 Model A and a 1957 Chevy. George was a member of many car clubs, and his first club was the Lawrence Antique Automobile Club. He also was a member of the Topeka Regional Antique Automobile Club, Wichita Reg. Horseless Carriage Club, and Plain Ol’ A’s Model A Ford Club out of Kansas City. He enjoyed many car tours including driving his Model A to Alaska and back.

George and Marceil loved playing pitch, Chicken Foot dominos, and enjoyed eating with a group of friends for over 40 years.  Vacations and traveling included many family reunions, plus trips to Hawaii and taking their entire family to the Rose Bowl parade for their 50 ^th wedding anniversary.

Faith was always an important part of George’s life starting out attending Tisdale Methodist Church and later becoming life members of the Lawrence First United Methodist church where he was an usher, attended adult Sunday school, and helped with many committees while making lifelong friends.  If he thought he could help you with a kind word, a listening ear, or being generous he would.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer memorials in George’s name to the Lawrence First United Methodist Church, Haskell Indian Nation University scholarship fund, Watkins Museum, or Visiting Nurses Association in Lawrence and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13 ^th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.