Memorial Services for Donald Kloppenborg, age 84, of Emmet will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in O'Neill with a private burial at a later date.  Memorial Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a 7 p.m. prayer service.  Don passed away on Friday, September, 22, 2017 at his home in Emmet, surrounded by his family.  Following Don's wishes, his body was donated to the Nebraska Anatomical Board.  He finally gets to go to Medical School.  Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill is in charge of arrangements.

Donald Deen Kloppenborg was born August 20, 1933 on the family farm near Emmet, NE to Henry and Grace (Lindemann) Kloppenborg.  He attended school in Emmet through the 8th grade and graduated from O'Neill High School in 1951.

Don was very athletic, excelling in football and track, qualifying for state multiple times and holding the OHS school record in shot put for many years.  He also competed in Golden Gloves boxing after graduation.  He received a full ride football scholarship to University Nebraska-Lincoln, but chose to go to Norfolk Junior College, where he excelled at football.  He left Norfolk Junior College to enlist in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict.  Due to football injuries, to his disappointment, he received a medical discharge.

Don began to work for Peter Kiewit & Sons Construction Company in Omaha as a mechanic on heavy equipment.  While working with Kiewit's on Interstate 80 near Kimball, Nebraska, he found boarding with a woman named Geta Pickett, and subsequently met Geta's granddaughter, Jackie Hoke.

Don married Jackie Hoke January 22, 1956, at the Trinity Methodist Church in Kimball, Nebraska.  The first five years of their marriage were spent in Kimball during the oil boom, where Don worked hauling crude oil for Melton Transport.  During their time in Kimball, their three sons, Kirby, Marty, and Kelly were born.

In April, 1961, they moved from Kimball back to Don's home town Emmet to live on the family farm.  A month later, their fourth child, daughter Laurie, was born.  In 1962, in addition to running the farm and milking 45 cows, Don took a job with Bud Cole and Emmet Hay Company doing contract small square baling to supplement the farm income.  In 1966 Don and Jackie left the farm and moved into Emmet and Don baled full time.  Then in 1970, Don purchased Emmet Hay Company from the Cole family and began to expand the business. This expansion included employing many of Emmet's residents and all of his children and grandchildren.

In 1981, the business's dynamics changed when Don brought sons Kirby and Kelly in as partners.  Don retired in 1995 but stayed active in the hay business until his death.

In retirement, Don enjoyed operating his motor grader on township roads, tinkering in the shop while cleaning copper and metals, mowing lawns, feeding and watching birds and researching Emmet history.  He loved going for coffee and visiting with friends.

During his lifetime, Don served on the District 20 School Board, Emmet village board, Emmet township board, and the North Central RC&D board and was a Gideon.  Don was an active member of the United Methodist Church sharing his talents as a Sunday school teacher, liturgist, lay speaker, a trustee, administrative council member, and United Methodist Men officer. He even sang in the choir, but his favorite role in church was telling his famous children's stories.

Don enjoyed Toastmasters for years, later using those skills as a certified lay speaker as a pastor at Dorsey and Scottsdale community churches.

Don is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Jackie, sons Kirby and wife Kathy, Kelly and wife Terry, daughter Laurie O'Neill,  and daughter-in- law Chuck Kloppenborg, all of Emmet; grandchildren Heather Kloppenborg, Kelly Lynne Sholes, Niki and Jeremy Engelberg, Holly and Tyson Cole, Lauren and Bryan Hoefer, Shaun and Tana O'Neill, Danielle and Brett Sargent, Zachary and Mariel Kloppenborg, Donny and Danielle O'Neill; fourteen great grandchildren; brother Ervin Kloppenborg of Cozad, sister Ruby Wayman, sisters-in-law Toby Kloppenborg and Helen Kloppenborg, all of O'Neill, brother-in-law Roger and Betty Hoke of Tavernier Florida; many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Preceded in death by his parents, son Marty, brothers Ernie and Al, sister Lovina Pierson, brothers-in-law George Pierson and Norman Wayman, sisters-in-law Vera Kloppenborg and Doris Kloppenborg.