Doyle Francis "Frank" Kripal

Doyle Francis "Frank" Kripal, 83, of Chappell passed away Wednesday morning, September 29, 2021, at the Regional West Garden County Nursing Home with his wife by his side.

A rosary service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 4, 2021, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Chappell.  A mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 am.  Father Bryan Ernest and Deacon Dixon Powers will officiate.

Services will be streamed live and available to watch after the service on the Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Homes Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hbfunerals).

Cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Regional West Physicians Clinic in Chappell, Chappell EMTs or the Chappell Volunteer Fire Department.

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Chappell is serving the Kripal family.

Family and friends can leave condolences at www.bondegardfunerals.com.

Francis was born in Sidney on June 22, 1938.  He attended school at St. Patrick’s Academy in Sidney for several years before transferring to Lodgepole, where he graduated in 1956.  After high school he attended Pueblo Jr. College in Colorado before going to California where we worked as a draftsman for North American.

In the fall of 1961, he enrolled in the college at Scottsbluff and that is where he met his future wife.  He often said that he had to thank the East Germans for bringing them together.  Noni had been attending school in London and had planned on going to school in Munich Germany that fall.  However, on August 19, 1961, the East Germans began construction of the Berlin Wall.  Noni’s father, an officer in the Air Force who had flown with the Allies in the Berlin Airlift in 1949, announced that she would NOT be attending school in Germany that fall.  Within days she found herself on a MATS flight headed back stateside to live with her aunt and attend school in Scottsbluff.  Although from diverse backgrounds, she a “military brat” who had bounced from base to base, and he who had grown up surrounded by an extended family in Lodgepole, they were surprised to learn that they shared one thing in common—their Catholic faith.  They were married December 28, 1963 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Custer, South Dakota.

They lived in Chadron, Nebraska while attending college.  Upon graduation in 1964 they moved to Lodgepole, and Francis joined his father Anton “Tony” in his business, Kripal Chevrolet Company.  In 1966 Chevy approached Tony about moving his franchise to Chappell to take over the Brune Motor franchise there.  After the move to Chappell, they added the Buick line to their inventory and established “Kripal Motor Company” Francis and his family moved to Chappell where they have lived for 55 years.

Francis was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.  He enjoyed helping to co-sponsor to CYO youth group on their spring break ski trips to Snowy Range and Silvercreek.  When the Chappell Junior Jaycees organized, he served as the first president. In 1989, Francis was honored to be appointed to the board of trustees on the Buckley Trust.  He enjoyed being part of the group that helped bring projects and services to the area communities.

Francis was a big fan of Nebraska sports, big band music, purple flowers, Lake Mac, and all things Chevrolet—especially Corvairs!  He had many fond memories of his customers and missed the people he encountered during his years in the dealership.

Although he faced many challenges these last few years, he was especially thankful for the arrival of Regional West Medical Services here in the Chappell community, the safe return of his grandson, Josh, from Iraq, and the arrival of his first great-grandchild, Estelle.

He is survived by his wife Winona (Noni) and three children: daughter, Kim and husband, Tracy Freeseman of Estelline, SD, sons, Paul of Scottsdale, AZ and Mark and wife, Lori of North Platte; 5 grandchildren, Josh Freeseman, Laura Carlson, Raegan Kripal, Olivia Kripal and Dalton Kripal; and one great-granddaughter, Estelle Calson.

Francis was preceded in death by his parents, Anton and Irene Kripal, and one sister, Joan Carita Thompson.