Ben R. Rippe

Benny "Ben" Ray Rippe, 73, of Sabetha, Kansas, died at home on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, following two weeks of hospice care.  He was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and enjoyed relatively good health until recently.

Ben was born in Beatrice, Nebraska to Harold and Lorene (Stettnisch) Rippe and raised on a farm outside Hanover, Kansas.  He graduated from Hanover High School in 1966.  He graduated from Fairbury Junior College in 1968 and attended Kansas State University for two years to study mechanical engineering. Ben served in the Army from 1970 to 1973 as a Specialist 5 including Pershing missiles in Germany and served in the National Guard through 1975.  He drove a semi truck for over 45 years, primarily for Bowhay Truck Line of Summerfield, Kansas, and logged over 4 million miles before retiring in early 2020.  In 1974, Ben married Carol Barr in Everest, Kansas. They lived in Horton and Seneca, Kansas before settling in Fairview, Kansas where they raised their four children and fostered several others.  In 2011, they moved to Sabetha.  He lived to see the (near) completion of the house addition he and Carol had planned.

He will be remembered for his steadfast faith in God, as well as his generosity, optimism, friendliness, and his goofy sense of humor.  He delighted in visiting with his many friends, acquaintances and family, and in serving others.  He yearned to know Jesus better and was committed to the gospel and his local church, serving in outreaches and passionately supporting missionaries throughout his life.  Ben's lifelong hobby was guns - collecting, restoring, tinkering, target-practicing, and hunting.  Spending time with his grandchildren and giving them rides in his golf cart brought him special joy.  He also enjoyed history, Western movies, and continuous learning about a wide variety of subjects.

Ben was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife of 45 years, Carol Rippe.  He is survived by his children, Shana (Alex) Dominguez, Amanda Hersh, Brandy (Isaac) Blaske, and Austin (Daniela) Rippe; his siblings, Steve (Penny) Rippe, Mike (Donna) Rippe, and Tim (Cindy) Rippe; and his 10 grandchildren, Emery (Pamela), James, Rebecca, Eleazar, Kristianna, and Benjamin Hersh, Sofia and Valentina Dominguez, and Juliet and Emma Rippe; and his one great-grandchild, Theodore Hersh; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Service will be held Monday, August 15, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at NorthRidge church in Sabetha, Kansas.  A visitation will be held Sunday, August 14, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at NorthRidge church in Sabetha.  Memorial contributions may be made to NorthRidge Missionaries, sent in care of Popkess Mortuary, 823 Virginia Street, Sabetha, Kansas 66534.  Online condolences can be left for the family at www.popkessmortuaries.com