John J. Liepold, age 97 died January 27, 2020 well loved by his family. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Elsa Liepold. John was born June 11, 1922 in Fargo, North Dakota to Edward and Ruth Liepold. He was the middle child of five boys Victor, Carl, George and Ralph. The Liepold Family were wheat farmers in Bengough, Saskatchewan.
At the breakout of WWII, John joined the Royal Canadian Airforce. He served abroad as a Mechanic. As part of a mission to recover sensitive materials, John was exposed to extreme elements and became sick. He was returned home to Saskatchewan to recover at the area hospital. John heard rumors of a fiery redhead nurse who worked at the hospital who thought he was handsome. The lovely nurse Elsa Heier, after long country drives around Saskatchewan in a borrowed truck agreed to marry John on June 25, 1950.
The Liepolds moved to Oregon and settled in Boring, Oregon in 1952. He established Liepold Farms. John farmed fruits and built a following for the berries that grew from his land. The Liepold home was a daily hub of visits with his friends and neighbors Moore, Gantenbein, and Karlen as well as Trinity Lutheran Church fellow parishioners. There was always a pot of coffee, a cake to sample, and conversation to be had around the kitchen peninsula. He was ready for a game of pinochle and an easy afternoon when the work was done.
John loved his family, loved the land, and loved his church. He farmed with his wife, for more than 35 years, and well after he “retired” in 1986. You could find him tending the farm on any day, or helping out. He was a weekly greeter at Trinity Lutheran for more than 60 years. He and his wife dedicated time, resources to the Church and building the community. He most recently resided at Avamere in Sandy and built an adoring fan club along with his tablemates Elma and Marion.
John is survived by his brother Ralph Liepold of Regina, Saskatchewan; 3 children and their spouses, Rod and Marcia Liepold of Boring, Marcia (Liepold) and Jim Patterson of Boring, Mark and Carla Liepold of Boring; his 8 grandchildren Michelle (Liepold) Krummenacker of Happy Valley, Jeff Liepold of Boring, Jon Liepold of Gresham, Melody Eisenzimmer of Sandy, James Struck of Gresham, Heather Patterson of Eugene, Kim Liepold of Boring, and Sky Liepold of Portland, his 18 great grandchildren and finally 3 Great Great Grandchildren. He declared the best invention of the last 100 years was the tractor, and of all that he ever used the CASE 930 was a stand out.
The celebration of Life will be at Trinity Lutheran Church located at 507 W. Powell Blvd. in Gresham on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers please donate to Mt. Hood Hospice in his honor.
