A Special Neighbor

KEPKE JULIA ANN KEPKE (nee Zadzilka), 89, of Medina and Valley City, passed away June 11, 2010. Julia was born Feb. 10, 1921 in Salamanca, NY., to the late Vincent and Antina Zadzilka. She worked for Eaton Corp. during WWII making parts for tanks. Julia is survived by her son, Wayne R. Kepke and her daughter, Gail (William) Morris, all of Medina; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard; parents; sisters and brothers. Mass of Christian Burial 11 a.m. Monday at St. Martin of Tours Chapel, 1800 Station Rd., Valley City 44280. VISITATION WILL BE SUNDAY FROM 2-5 P.M. AT WAITE & SON FUNERAL HOMES, 765 N. COURT ST., MEDINA 44256. Contributions may be made to St. Martin at the address above.

I was a fairly new bride when I moved into our first house at 7035 Center Road, Valley City, Ohio in late summer of 1967. There was an alfalfa field separating our house from the nearest neighbor to the west. Right after Tim and I made the move someone from my office begged us to take their collie. The dog had bitten a child (the dog was in his fenced yard when a group of school kids taunted him with sticks through the fence, you get the picture). We took "Butch" and didn't quite know what to do with his on that first day as we had to both go to work. We closed him up in the barn with a barrier across the aisle but left the barn door open. I got a call from my sister in law, Pat Von Duyke who lived in Brunswick. She said the "Sheriff" called her (Von Duyke listed in the phone book) and said our dog was barking and disturbing the peace.

I left the office right away and drove home to the farm. I got the dog out of the barn, and took him into the house. I walked over to the edge of the neighbor's property to apologize for the dog disturbing anyone and the neighbors' door opened on the side porch. "Hi, I'm Judy Von Duyke, we just moved in yesterday and I'm sorry my dog barked". The neighbor, Mrs. Julia Kepke replied, "the dog was barking all day but I didn't call the Sheriff"! Hmmmm. We overcame that introduction and spent 18 years with Howard and Julia as our good neighbors.

I remember one time when our pony "Tiger" got loose and ran over to Julia's house. She happened to be in the kids swimming pool at the time, cooling off on a very hot August day.
Tiger jumped into the pool, and Julia jumped out!

She taught me to iron clothes. Shirts are ironed the same way she taught me many, many years ago. When Nathan was born, you would have thought he was the Baby Jesus the way Julia gushed over him. She loved that little boy like a grandchild. Many many stories flooded through our brains on the way from the funeral home on Sunday. But none are more pleasant to remember than that wonderful woman of Polish descent who had her own versions of words in the dictionary. She scrubbed the floors with pneumonia! Her husband was a homebody that worked as a fireman at NASA, and his only social life was at the local VFW. When Howard died, Julie like Willie Nelson went "On the Road Again." She traveled all over this country on Howards' retirement stash! She made up for all of the years she had to stay home. Cruises and casinos became quarterly adventures. She was a long time volumteer at Medina Hospital.

Her children were devoted to her and she remained independent until just a year ago after the first stroke. She was a good woman. She taught me a lot. I think of her often.

I was one of three people who attended her funeral beside her two children and their spouses.

She was laid to rest next to Howard at St. Martin of Tours cemetery yesterday.

She has moved on to the next travel adventure. Perhaps there will even be gamling there!