Laura Mae (Clark) Ripperger (1911 - 2007)

Born 15 Jun 1911 in Clinton Co., Kentucky, USA

Wife of Thomas Harold Counceller Sr — married 14 Sep 1929 in Henry Co., Indiana, USA

Descendants

Died 2 Jun 2007 at age 95 in Connersville, Fayette Co., Indiana, UAS

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Biography

Laura Clark was born 15 June 1911 in Clinton Co., Kentucky.

1920 census^[1]

She married Thomas Councellor 14 September 1929 in Henry Co., Indiana^[2]

1930 census -- New Castle, Henry Co., Indiana, USA

Nellie Counceller, head, own $3500, female, white, age 48, widow, born Ohio, father born Ohio, mother born Ohio; Gordon Counceller, son, male, white, age 15, single, attended school, born Indiana, father born New Jersey, mother born Indiana; Arthur Counceller, son, male, white, age 20, single,, born Indiana, father born New Jersey, mother born Indiana, laborer cabinet factory; Thomas Counceller, son, male, white, age 26, married, first married @26,, born Indiana, father born New Jersey, mother born Indiana, laborer cabinet factory; Laura Counceller, daughter-in-law, age 18, married, first married @18, born Kentucky, father born Kentucky, mother born Kentucky^[3]

1940 census -- Connersville, Fayette Co., Indiana, USA

Thomas Counceller Sr, head, own $2500, male, white, age 37, married, 1 year high school education, born Indiana, same place 1935, Foreman Dept Cabinet Manufacturers; Laura Counceller, wife, informant, female, white, age 28, married, 8th grade education, born Kentucky, New Castle Indiana 1935; Thomas J Counceller, son, male, white, age 8, single, attended school, 2nd grade education, born Indiana, same place 1935; Edith Counceller, daughter, female, white, age 6, single, attended school, born Indiana, same place 1935; Kenneth Counceller, son, male, white, age 5, single, born Indiana, same place 1935; Charles Counceller, son, male, white, age 3, single, born Indiana^[4]

She died 2 June 2007 in Connersville, Indiana. ^[5][6] She is buried in Dale Cemetery in Connersville, Indiana.^[7]

Obituary

Laura Mae Clark Counceller Ripperger, 95, passed quietly in her sleep on June 2. 2007, at her home in Connersville.

Some of her last words were "I love you." Remaining cheerful until the end, she rarely uttered a cross word. She suffered a broken hip in March 2005 and was never left alone since. To be sure she could spend her final time in the comfort of her own home, family members provided most of her homecare, while caregivers were hired for the daytime hours.

She was born June 15, 1911 in a log cabin in the wilderness hills of Clinton County, Kentucky on the Shelton family farm near Cumberland City community. Her parents were John Wilson Shelton and Dora Ethel Clark. Her father died when she was 3 years of age and in time her mother remarried. At age 7. she began living with various families, working for her keep but was eventually taken in by her grandmother, who was half Cherokee Indian. From this grandmother she learned the Christian way of life and all about living a good happy life. Laura's father was an herb doctor and she learned many of the natural cures which had been passed down from ancestral relatives. The difficulties of her young life and the teachings of her grandmother molded Laura into a Christian lady with self-discipline and unbending moral values. Laura retained her southern hospitality throughout her life. Any one visiting her home had to eat at her table. She gave old-fashioned advice and had many sayings that are still valid in today's world. Until 2005, she lived alone, caring for her home and cooked the noon meal for herself and three family members. She always needed to be doing something to help her family.

In 1929, she and other family members left the poverty of the Kentucky hills for better economic times in New Castle, Indiana. There she met and married the "man of her dreams," as she always put it, Thomas Harold Counceller and they were married on Sept. 14, 1929. In 1939 they moved to Connersville and Laura had lived in that same home for the past 68 years. They reared eight children and for a time reared an additional 2 children of her deceased sister. They had at least one child in Connerville Public Schools for 36 consecutives years. Thomas died during their 50th year of marriage on Jan. 20, 1979. On Aug 27, 1983 she married a fine gentleman from Brookville, Charles J. Ripperger. He died in 1999 at the age of 98, the last surviving Veteran of World War I residing in Fayette County. For a while, Laura was a volunteer at Fayette Memorial Hospital and for several years a regular volunteer at the Veteran's Hospital in Indianapolis. She had also volunteered on the ‘Meals on Wheels' program and was a member of War Mothers, having had a brother in World War II and a son in Korea. She was a past member of the Quilting Club and made many hand-sewn quilts which she generously gave to family members and others. During the War years of the 1940's she worked a short time on the bomber wing manufacturing effort at the Steel Kitchen but left to devote full time to her family. During this time and later years she had a home business of curtain washing and stretching. From 1950 to 1972 she was a motor route carrier for the Connersville News Examiner delivering the newspaper to Nulltown, Alpine, Metamora, Brookville and Everton. She had attended Central Christian Church and in later years Grand Avenue United Methodist Church.

Survivors include her children and their spouses; one daughter, Tom and Linda Barton of Indianapolis, six sons; Tom Counceller of Cedar Grove, Kenneth and Sandy Counceller of Victor, New York, Charles Counceller of Everton, Claude and Shirley Counceller of Connersville, Bill Counceller of Liberty and David J. Counceller of Connersville, son-in-law Phillip Bauer Sr. of Connersville, grandchildren and their spouses; Dr. Dennis and Linda Bauer Kelley of Indianapolis, Phillip and Faith Bauer, Steve and Sandy Bauer Repp all of Connersville, Doug Bauer of Milton, Glenn Counceller of the Netherlands, Larry and Sandi Counceller of Buford, Ga., Christian and Sherrilee Counceller of Rio Rancho, N.M., Tom and Cassandra Counceller Debitts of Fairfield, PA, Jeff and Jennifer Counceller of Everton, Joe Counceller and Terry David Counceller of Connersville, Don and Claudia Counceller Miller of Richmond, Glen and Sherri Counceller Fogelberg of Kokomo, IN, Dr James and Dr. Lisa Ruble Graham of Louisville, KY, Lori and Leslie Ruble of Indianapolis, Matt Barton of Indianapolis, Paul and Julie Counceller Davis and Jeremy and April Counceller all of Kodiak, Alaska. Step-grandchildren; Robert Crawford, Gabriel and Lori Garduno, Randy, Richie and Eric Parks. Great-grandchildren; John, Brent and Conner Kelley of Indianapolis, Christopher and Jayme Bauer, Michael and Amanda Bauer Barrett, Tyler, Travis, Trent, Samuel and SaraRepp, Brooke Bauer of Texas, Terri, Rebbekah and Doug Bauer of Milton. Logan Counceller and Alexandria Debitts of Fairfield, PA., Kayla Counceller of Buford, GA., Seth Counceller and Taylor Counceller of Everton, Sarah Counceller and Connor Counceller of Connersville, Chance Counceller of Everton, Adam and Moranda Terwilliger, Sherri Gulley, Angel Gulley, Courtney and Eric Fogelberg of Kokomo, Jacob and Dakota Ruble of Indianapolis, Henry Davis and Emagale Counceller both of Kodiak, Alaska. Step Great-grandchildren; Daniel Crawford, Jesse Crawford and Clare Garduno. Great-great-grandchildren; Brennen and Bryce Bauer of Connersville, Holden Gulley and Kolcun Terwilliger; many cousins, nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law, Juanita Cota and Louise Phillips, and three very considerate care-givers; Jennifer Brock, Ann Pendergraft and Wanda Jackson.

Preceding her in death were her parents, both husbands, one daughter, Edith Counceller Bauer, she died in 1993, grandson Charles T. Counceller, he died May 2, 2007, sisters; Lois Clark Burchett, Nola Clark Reed, half-sisters; Kate Garner, Millie Branham, Docie Shelton, Polly Guffey, Cora Guffey, Docia Shelton, Beatrice Nash, half brothers; William Guffey, Alvin Guffey, Howard Guffey, Roscoe Shelton, William Shelton, John Shelton, Samuel Shelton, Anderson Shelton and Henry Shelton.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday at Showalter Blackwell Long Funeral Home, Myers Chapel, Connersville with Rev. James Orr of Connersville officiating.

Interment will follow in Dale Cemetery.

Friends may visit at the funeral home from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday where memorial contributions may be made to the Seth Counceller Education Fund.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHL9-Y5J : accessed 25 Nov 2014), Laura M Clark in household of William S Guffey, Albany, Clinton, Kentucky, United States; citing sheet 4A, family 62, NARA microfilm publication T625, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 1820566.
2. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXN7-N5N : 10 December 2017), Thomas Harold Counceller and Laura Mae Clark, 14 Sep 1929; citing Henry, Indiana, United States, Marriage Registration, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004171286.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHMY-DSP : accessed 25 Nov 2014), Laura Counceller in household of Nellie Counceller, New Castle, Henry, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0020, sheet 9B, family 195, line 70, film number 593, NARA microfilm publication T626, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); FHL microfilm 2340328.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V1RR-WPK : accessed 25 Nov 2014), Laura Counseller in household of Thomas Counseller, Connersville, Harrison Township, Fayette, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21-13, sheet 17A, family 384, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 1042, NARA digital publication of T627, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
5. ↑ Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 2007; Roll: 15
6. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V31T-QPK : accessed 25 Nov 2014), LAURA M RIPPERGER, 02 Jun 2007; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19692627/laura_mae-counceller_ripperger : accessed 9 March 2022), memorial page for Laura Mae Clark Counceller Ripperger (15 Jun 1911–2 Jun 2007), Find A Grave: Memorial #19692627, citing Dale Cemetery, Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana, USA ; Maintained by GiGi (contributor 48051882) .