Ralph D. Haupt, 53, of Wellsburg, Iowa, died Monday, May 2, 2005, at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital Emergency Room, in Grundy Center, Iowa. Funeral services will be 1:30 P.M. Thursday, May 5, 2005, at First Christian Reformed Church, rural Wellsburg, Iowa, with Pastor Robert Nelson officiating. Burial will follow at St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Wellsburg, Iowa. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 4, 2005, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., at Doyen-Abels Funeral Home in Wellsburg. To view the complete obituary or to send messages of condolence, please visit our website at www.abelsfuneralhomes.com. A memorial fund has been established.
Ralph was born January 24, 1952, in Eldora, Iowa, the son of Henry and Bernice (Bakker) Haupt. Ralph received his education in the Wellsburg School System and graduated from Wellsburg High School in 1970. After graduation, Ralph attended Hawkeye Institute of Technology in Waterloo, graduating with a degree in Automotive Mechanics. On October 7, 1972, Ralph was united in marriage to Ginny Doyen at St. Paul Lutheran Church, rural Wellsburg. After their marriage, they lived in Grundy Center for four years while Ralph worked for Joe Ross as a mechanic. In 1976, Ralph and Ginny moved to a farm in rural Wellsburg to help with the family farm. In October 1979, Ralph took over his family's dairy operation. Ralph continued farming and in March 2004 retired from his dairy operation, but continued to grain farm. In 2004, the family farm was honored as a Century Farm.
Ralph was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church. He enjoyed sports and tractor pulls, but most of all, he loved his family.
He is survived by his wife Ginny of Wellsburg, Iowa; four sons Derek Haupt of Wellsburg, and his special friend Shannon Hackfort; Nicholas Haupt of Wellsburg; Michael Haupt of Waterloo, Iowa, and his fiancAsh Staci Aswegan; and Bryan Haupt of Wellsburg; one brother Wallace Haupt and his wife Evelyn of Wellsburg; three sisters Phyllis Altena and her husband John of Fremont, Michigan; Lois Diehl and her husband Charles of Eldora, Iowa; Glenda Koch and her husband Dallas of Wellsburg; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.