Wilbur Lippert

Wilbur Eugene Lippert peacefully passed into heaven on the evening of June 12, 2025 with family by his side. He was surrounded by friends and family during his last days. The family wishes to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone near and far your love and support of Wilbur and especially to the exceptionally compassionate, kind and caring team at Baptist Health.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, June 20, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 502 N 4th St, Bismarck. To view the service livestream, click this link Trinity Lutheran Church - Bismarck | Bismarck ND | Facebook

Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM, Thursday, June 19, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. A prayer service will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service.

Burial will be held at 3:30 PM, Friday, June 20, at Highland Home Cemetery, Jamestown.

Wilbur Eugene Lippert was born prematurely (he frequently said he was “not bad for a preemie”) on July 17, 1929 to Richard and Emma Lippert at Trinity Hospital in Jamestown, ND. Wilbur grew up on the family farm with his older brother, James (Jim). He admired his parents for their strength and determination in keeping the farm going during the depression years. He had fond memories of his childhood and especially enjoyed being around the animals, machinery, barns and windmills that were a part of farm life. He attended Lippert Township School, then Eldridge School where he played on the basketball team. He shared stories of playing on many interesting courts, some in basements with low ceilings that required him to change the arc of his shots. When Eldridge School closed Wilbur moved on to Jamestown High School. During his time there he stayed with his aunts at their home on Fourth Avenue in Jamestown.

After graduating in 1947, Wilbur began working as a bank teller in Jamestown. His skills were a perfect match for the position. He recalled cashing paychecks on Fridays and delivering cash to the post office which involved carrying a small revolver handgun in his pants pocket for security. He was generous with his earnings. He loved giving gifts and took his mother on a train trip to Yellowstone National Park. He gifted his father with a beautiful engraved pocket watch.

In 1951, at the age of 22, he was drafted. He shipped out to Indiantown Gap, PA for basic training. From there he went to New York where he boarded a troop ship to Italy, stopping in Casablanca, Naples and Greece. On March 29, 1952 he joined Trieste United States Troops (TRUST) whose mission was to keep peace at the border of Italy and Yugoslavia. He described his unit as “spit and polish”. He took pride in always looking “sharp”. Wilbur made the most of his time abroad and took leave in Venice and Milan. On August 7, 1953 he wrote to his parents that he was thrilled to see the ship that would bring him home and that he felt “mighty happy”.

Upon his return, he enrolled in North Dakota Agricultural College, now NDSU, in Fargo. It was there, in January of 1956, that he met a pretty school teacher, Grace Winge, at the Crystal Ballroom. Grace wrote in their wedding book that during their courtship “the visits were frequent and the gifts many”. They were engaged on June 1, 1957 and on June 10, Wilbur graduated from NDSU. He accepted a job with Kemper Insurance in Chicago, IL requiring him to move to Evanston, IL. During their long distance engagement they had “many wonderful visits”. On June 28, 1958, they were married at First Lutheran Church in Litchville, ND.

Having established himself in Illinois, Wilbur brought Grace to join him. They made their home in Elmhurst, a suburb west of Chicago. There they started their family; Muriel Jean was born on February 10, 1960, then Nancy Ann on July 31, 1962. In 1964 they became homeowners and moved into a two bedroom bungalow at 185 Highland Avenue. Grace worked at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital so Wilbur was a very active Dad. For several years she worked the night shift and sometimes weekends, so Wilbur was in often charge of meals and keeping the girls entertained. He was a doting father and nothing was too good for his girls.

Wilbur left Kemper Insurance for a better opportunity at Chicago Bridge and Iron (CB&I) where he was a purchasing agent. Here he learned much about different types of metals and structures. He enjoyed identifying styles of water towers or grades of steel. He was invited to join a group of CB&I employees who started a spin off company, Horton Process Division Inc. which is now owned by Veolia. When that company experienced economic difficulties he was laid off. He found work where he could and had some interesting jobs. He ended his career where it began, working at Oak Park Trust and Savings Bank as a Building Maintenance Engineer. He retired in 1995.

Wilbur was active in his local community. As a young man he was a member of the Jaycees. During several holiday seasons, he took an evening job working in the toy department at Marshall Fields on State Street. Later, he joined the Elmhurst Choral Union which gave him the opportunity to perform Handel’s Messiah, one of his favorite pieces. He was very involved in the church he and Grace joined soon after moving to Elmhurst, Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran. He sang in the choir, bowled in their league, lunched with the “ROMEOS”, solicited donations for the annual Men In Mission fundraising dinner and served on the property committee for many years.

Between 1985 and 1992, Wilbur and Grace welcomed five grandchildren. With Muriel in North Dakota and Nancy in Florida, the trips were many. The grandchildren looked forward to their trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Elmhurst where they could enjoy parks, museums, the zoo, delicious pizza, bowls of ice cream, games of Yahtzee, and train trips into Chicago. Grandpa knew the city like the back of his hand and led many adventures there. They bought a townhome in Florida in 1998 and became “Snowbirds” as they spent several months each winter there, just a few minutes from Nancy and John’s home.

In October of 2016, Wilbur and Grace moved to Bismarck, ND. Grace died shortly after, in March of 2017. Wilbur was heartbroken but carried on, making a life for himself in his new but familiar home. Muriel moved in with him in July of 2017.

They had always enjoyed serving together and found new ways to do that, including working together to clean and sort at his brother in law and sister in law’s home in Litchville. He joined Trinity Lutheran Church where he volunteered as a reader and enjoyed singing in the Messiah with Muriel. He had a personal trainer at the YMCA and worked out regularly. He drove to the Senior Center for caramel rolls, lunches and games of Whist. Baking became a hobby for him and his banana bread and peanut butter cookies were enjoyed by many lucky recipients. He continued to spend winters in his Florida townhome and while there got to Melbourne, FL to visit his great granddaughters. Muriel passed away unexpectedly in 2020 and Wilbur once more showed his resilience, living independently in his home in Bismarck with regular support from some very special people at Home Care Companions. He traveled to Florida to be with Nancy and her family during the winter.

In February 2023, Wilbur suffered a stroke and began his stay at Baptist Health in Bismarck. During his time there he received excellent care and worked hard to recover. He regained use of his left hand which allowed him to resume sending hand-written notes that showcased his way with words and perfect cursive penmanship. While at Baptist he had many opportunities to be in his home to host get togethers, celebrate holidays, do some baking or enjoy a homecooked meal. He was also able to take trips in town to some of his favorite places. He worshipped at Trinity, shopped for his great granddaughters at Target, ordered waffles at Denny’s and much more. He had frequent visits from family and friends.

His faithfulness, stewardship, generosity, resilience, kindness, positive attitude, and sense of humor set an example for all who knew him.

Wilbur was preceded in death by his parents, Richard George Lippert and Emma Suzanne Elisabeth Clemens, his brother and sister in law, James Richard and Bernice (nee Whitney) Lippert, his wife Grace Lucille Winge Lippert, brothers in law and sisters in law Ralph and Jane (nee Williamson) Winge, Herb Winge, Alice Cape Winge, Royce Winge, Jeanette (nee Wire) Winge and his daughter, The Reverend Muriel Jean Lippert.

Wilbur is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and John Walsh (Palm Coast, FL), his grandchildren, Lauren and Byron Lewis (Farmington, UT), Alex and Christine Ghilain Walsh (Randolph, NJ), Maureen Walsh (Orlando, FL), Emma and Michael Berg (Wilton, ND) and Eric Schauer and Valerie Kane (Springdale, AR), and his great-grandchildren, Harper and Kennedy Lewis and Claire Ghilain Walsh. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers the family invites you to consider a donation to Trinity Lutheran Church - Bismarck or Epiphany Lutheran Church - Elmhurst.