Mr. John H. Chipps

John H. "Jack" Chipps, 84, of Nysted, died Sunday, August 3, 2008 at Wedgewood Care Center in Grand Island.



Graveside service will be held 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, at Nysted Cemetery northwest of Dannebrog. The Reverend Don Voorhees will officiate. Military honors will be presented by the Mickelsen-Larkowski American Legion Post #241 of Dannebrog. There will be no visitation.



Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.



Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home of St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.



Mr. Chipps was born December 16, 1923 in Mason City, Nebraska to Howard & Ona (Schaper) Chipps. John attended Mason City Public Schools and graduated from Mason City High School in 1942.



He was united in marriage to Ruth Dietz.



John served in the United States Army from April 15, 1943 until receiving his discharge on April 12, 1946. During his military service he was stationed in Italy and took part in several campaigns in Europe.



He married Shirley Horn Johnston on July 9, 1979 in Phillipsburg, Kansas. They lived in North Platte and then moved to Grand Island. John and Shirley then moved to South Dakota, where he worked in the Black Hills, Hot Springs and Eagle Butte areas. John enjoyed working in South Dakota as well as vacationing with his wife there too. John did plastering and stuccoing on houses and commercial buildings. They then moved to a farm near Nysted in 1959 and have lived there since.



He enjoyed playing a trumpet in a band for a number of years. He also enjoyed working on cars, riding motorcycles, hunting pheasants and was quite a handyman. He liked to make leather items.



He was a member of the Jehovah Witnesses of Grand Island.



Survivors include his wife, Shirley of Nysted; five daughters and a son-in-law, Diane Harscher of Colorado Springs, CO, Jackie Coates of Houston, TX, Vicky Lynn VanNater of Pearland, TX, Beverly and James Hatch of Grand Island, NE, and Mary Jepson of Fremont, NE; one son, John Chipps, Jr. of Montgomery, TX; two step daughters and step son-in-law, Linda and Darrell Johnson of Grand Island, NE, Sheila Spitz of Columbus, NE; two step sons, LaVern Johnston & Allen Johnston both of Lincoln; fifteen grandchildren; one brother & sister-in-law, Robert & Kay Chipps of Grand Island.



He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, George "Cal" Chipps and Billy Chipps.