TILLIE SHIPLEY,
age 96, left this earthly realm, lifted to Heaven by Holy
Angels, to see Jesus face to face, on Sunday May 21, 2017,
at 6PM.
Services will be held at 11:00 am Friday, May 26, 2017, at
the Steele United Methodist Church, Steele, with Pastor Bob
Schoepp officiating.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Thursday, May
25, at the Eastgate-Steele Memorial Chapel, Steele, ND,
where a prayer service will begin at 6:00 pm.
Graveside services will be at 10:00 am Tuesday, May 30, at
the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.
Mathilda L. (Pfeifer) Shipley, youngest daughter of Philip
Pfeifer, Sr. and Christina (Heyne) Pfeifr, was born November
22, 1920, in a sod house near Temvik, ND, Emmons County.
Tillie graduated from Temvik High School in 1939 as
Valedictorian. She attended Dickinson State Teachers
College, receiving her Teaching Certificate. She taught at
the same country school that she attended as a child. During
WW II, while two of her brothers served across seas, Tillie
was employed as a bookkeeper at the Bank of Hazelton,
staying with her 3rd brother who was a blacksmith.
Tillie was an avid writer, keeping diaries all her life. Her
sister Bertha gave her a New Testament which she carried
with her throughout school years. She was a woman of faith
from the beginning. Years later she gave that worn-out
testament to Bertha’s daughter.
She trapped with her older brothers. Tillie trapped 200
gophers and took the tails to the Bank to receive a penny a
tail, $2.00 worth. Thus, her brothers nicknamed her “Snappy
Tail Poot.”
October 1946 Tillie met Charles Shipley, Steele, ND, WW II
Army veteran, who had recently returned and was working as a
signalman on the railroad. On May 31, 1947, Tillie and
Charles were married. Tillie worked beside Charles on their
farm north of Steele. Next week marks their 70th wedding
anniversary.
She milked countless cows, fed baby calves, carried hundreds
of pails of grain, and planted productive, huge gardens.
Tillie even wanted to learn how to run a chainsaw to trim up
the shelterbelt.
Tillie gave from her heart. One never left her house or yard
without receiving some gift. She fed and gave food and
helped every stranger who came to the farm door, including
the UPS person and the man whose car broke down on his way
to his wedding. She canned produce and meat, and made
delicious doughnuts. The aroma of bread, cookies, and pies
or roast baking, was breathtaking. She had the ability to
make something out of nothing, to use home remedies, to sew
patches on shirts and jeans, to stitch quilts for missions
with United Methodist Women and to be the most caring, kind
friend. Tillie loved others more than herself.
Tillie was innovative, creative, hardworking, adventurous,
kind, humble and honest. Her well used Bibles are a
testament to hours of reading and studying the treasures of
the God’s Word. She had a gift of giving and prayer, and
faith that could move mountains. She prayed for her family
and many, many others daily. She prayed for the “Peace of
Jerusalem”.
Tillie is survived by husband, Charles; her four children,
Linda (Wes) Vettel, Kathy (Lenny) Schlabach, John (Laura)
Shipley, Mark (Jackie) Shipley; 13 grandchildren and 25
great-grandchildren.
Tillie was preceded in death by her parents; seven siblings,
Emma Weber, Bertha Kist, Art Pfeifer, Pauline Jackson,
Philip Pfeifer, John Pfeifer and Reinhold Pfeifer; and by
two grandchildren, Tasha Marie Vettel and Lisa Renee
Shipley.
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Charles
Oscar Shipley, age 97, left this earthly
realm, November 30, 2017, on his Eagle Flight to Heaven,
with a smile on his face, and a thankful heart.
Services will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, December 5, at
the Steele United Methodist Church, with Rev. Steve Behrens
officiating.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Monday,
December 4, at Eastgate-Steele Memorial Chapel, where a
prayer service will begin at 6:00 pm. Visitation will
continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Military graveside services will be held at 2:00 pm Tuesday
at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.
Charles was born July 9, 1920, in Bismarck, ND, youngest son
of Fred J. and Effie A. (Whitney) Shipley, Steele, ND,
He sprung cowboy boots at a young age, riding and working
cattle round ups, and learning the ropes of
farming/ranching. Charles said, “I had a horse named Babe. I
rode him to Allen School (Kidder County). He would do tricks
… lie down and sit up like a dog.” During WW 2 in Italy,
Charles saw a Percheron, a large draft horse, alone in a
field. The fact that Charles’ dad always had a French
Percheron stallion used for breeding workhorses, made it
easy for Charles to fearlessly catch that horse and ride it.
In 1948 Charles bought and trained a horse named Trigger, a
favorite that his children learned to ride on.
Charles attended Steele High School, staying & working at
the Steele Ozone. He graduated in 1938. During school play
days, Charles, a chin-up champ, won blue ribbons doing 38 or
39 consecutively. He practiced with a chin-up bar in the
Shipley barn where years later, he set up one for his kids.
Charles would often wrestle one of his classmates for fun.
He challenged others to a good arm wrestling contest, which
he usually won. He was known for his strong handshake.
Charles attended the University of North Dakota in Grand
Forks, working at Gaffaney & Shipley. He later was employed
by the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Military Service: Sgt. Shipley served 39 months in the US
Army, 1942-1945. Charles utilized his skills and experience
with the NP as a signal man. He laid over 2000 miles of wire
for communication lines on the 5th Army Front for the 91st
Signal Company, stationed in North Africa and Italy. He
carried his rifle and often rode in a 2˝ ton truck that
pulled the wire out. The war in Europe finally ended and
Charles was sent on toward Japan on a British merchant
marine ship.
While in the Indian Ocean in route to the Philippines, the A
(atomic) bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. The Japanese
continued to drop depth charges (50 gallon barrels) into the
ocean. They also had fast destroyers, which were faster than
the ship Charles was on. “Something happened to the ship. We
had no water. We ran out in the boilers. We were sittin’
ducks for a while,” Charles said. From Japan, only a few
miles from Hiroshima, he wrote a long letter home that was
printed by the Steele Ozone, where he used to work during
High School.
A few close calls Charles survived: 1. In the desert near
Mt. Hood, Charles opened his bedding to find a tarantula
inside. 2. Charles nearly drowned twice while swimming in
the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of North Africa. 3. In
Italy Charles gave blood. The same day he climbed a cross
bar pole, and nearly fainted. 4. On the farm a harrow tine
went clear through his foot causing severe infection.
Military Awards: *Victory European-African -Middle Eastern
Service Medal, American Theater Medal, Asiatic -Pacific
Theater Medal, Sharpshooter M1 Rifle & Marksman Carbine,
Good Conduct Medal.
Charles returned home where he again worked of the NP.
October 1946, at a dance near Moffit, Charles met the Love
of His Life, Tillie Pfeifer. That night he took her duck
hunting. Her beauty, creativeness, giving heart and
especially her good cooking, were perfect for him. They were
married May 31, 1947.
Charles and Tillie raised range and dairy cattle and farmed
on the Shipley home place north of Steele for 70 years. He
was a member of the Steele United Methodist Church for over
70 years and especially enjoyed the many Bible studies that
he and Tillie took part in. His hands were often folded in
prayer in concern for our troops, and those sick and
hurting. He was an American Legion member 50+ years. His
Honor Flight honoring WW2 veterans to Washington DC was a
highlight of Charles’ life. Charles’ patriotism, respect of
the flag, and involvement in supporting our veterans, never
wavered.
Charles’ expert marksmanship came in handy on the farm when
coyotes or a wild dog pack tried to take his newborn calves,
or, when rabbits, badgers, skunks, fox, etc. came to raid
the garden or get their chickens. He was a crackpot shot.
He served as Allen Township Treasurer 65+ Years, was on the
Steele Farmers Elevator Board and the Farmers & Merchants
Oil Company Board of Directors, was ND 1964 State Champion
Bowler Family Twosome, Crown Lanes League Bowling
Championships and member of the Steele Senior Center. He
enjoyed playing pinochle, gin rummy, throwing horseshoes,
bowling and about any fun game and gathering with friends,
neighbors and relatives.
Charles was a hardworking man of high character, integrity,
courage, honesty and wisdom who loved people and a good
laugh. His pockets were often filled with candy, lifesavers,
popcorn or salted in the shell peanuts. He would offer candy
just so he could have one and how he loved doughnuts,
pumpkin pie, strawberry shortcake, corn on the cob and baked
potato with LOTS of butter, and a good steak.
Charles is survived by his four children, Linda (Wes) Vettel,
Kathy (Lenny) Schlabach, John (Laura) Shipley, Mark (Jackie)
Shipley; 15 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Charles was preceded in death by his wife Tillie, May 21,
2017; two granddaughters (Tasha Marie Vettel & Lisa Renee
Shipley), his brothers Art and Howard Shipley and his sister
Pearl Shipley Andre.
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