Interment: St. John's Catholic Cemetery, Bancroft, Iowa

Gene Joseph Lampe was born on May 6, 1925, at Manning, Iowa, son of Bernard "Ben" Henry and Ella M. (Ahrendsen) Lampe. He graduated from the St. John's High School in Bancroft, Iowa in 1942. After his schooling, Gene farmed south of Bancroft. He was married to Kathryn Irene Behrends on August 24, 1944, at Bancroft.

The couple continued farming and running a dairy operation south of Bancroft until 1975, when they retired from farming and moved into Bancroft. Gene did carpenter work on his own and then worked for Elsbecker Construction until 1987.

Gene was a member of the St. John Catholic Church in Bancroft. He was a member of the St. John's School Financial Board and the St. John's Church Financial Board. He was also on the Bancroft Creamery Board and had served as President and was Secretary of AMPI in Whittemore, Iowa. Gene was a Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus in Bancroft. He enjoyed woodworking, growing flowers, gardening and bowling but more important to him was having his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren stop by for a visit.

He died on Sunday, November 2, 2008, at the Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, Iowa. He was 83.

Surviving are his children, Barbara Smith and husband, Ken, Manly, Iowa, Karen Kitzman and husband, Dave, Pueblo, Colorado, Dennis Lampe and wife, Julie, Bancroft, Iowa, Debra Scott and husband, Chuck, West Des Moines, Iowa, Mary Fank and husband, Dave, Mason City, Iowa, Geraldine Matz and husband, Dave, Clear Lake, Iowa and a son-in-law, Tim Trick, Lake Park, Iowa. Also surviving are 15 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, his brother, Harold Lampe, Burt, Iowa, and his sister, Ethel Steven and husband, James, Ionia, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife in 1997, his daughter, Virginia in 1988, 2 infant children, 4 grandchildren, Eric Trick, Ian Scott, Charles Scott, Isiah Scott, his great granddaughter, Hayley Trick and his brother, Leonard Lampe in 1991.

Note: Ella (Ahrendsen) Lampe was the daughter of Henry and Margaretha (Wunderlich) Ahrendsen
Ella's siblings: Hugo Ahrendsen and Leona Willesen