John C. Lippke, 76 of Merrill, IA, passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at a Sioux City hospital.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am Friday, April 10, 2026 at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. Reverend Elizabeth Lippke-Ganzel will officiate. Visitation with the family present will begin at 10:00 am at the funeral home prior to the service. A luncheon will be served immediately following the service. Interment at Stanton Township Cemetery in rural Merrill, Iowa will follow the luncheon.

John Carl Lippke was born on February 20, 1950 in Sioux City, Iowa to Elvin and Naomi (Dahmes) Lippke. He was raised on the family farm in rural Merrill. John attended school at the nearby Stanton #5 one room country school from Kindergarten through Second Grade. After the school closed in 1958, he attended classes in Merrill and then Le Mars. John graduated from Le Mars Community High School in 1968 and went on to receive his bachelor degree from Westmar College in Le Mars. Most of his life, John lived on the family farm until declining health necessitated a move to assisted living at Bickford Cottage in Sioux City.  He attended Merrill Stanton United Methodist Church until its closing in 1971.

John's work history included Omaha Testing Labs, Molstad Distributing, and Elastomer Engineering, all in Sioux City where he worked mainly in sales.

John enjoyed listening to music; he had an extensive CD collection. John liked to go bicycling and dabbled in photography. He also owned a variety of tropical fish and unusual cacti over the years. John looked forward to annual trips to the Black Hills and attending the Stanton Township 4th of July picnics. John had a careful eye for detail and lived his life confidently on his own terms.

John is survived by his brother, James (Cindy) Lippke of Sioux City, IA; two nieces: Elizabeth (Brian) Lippke-Ganzel of Janesville, WI and Catherine (Kyle) Rommel of Sioux City, IA; and other extended relatives.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Elvin and Naomi Lippke; and pet cats: Spook and Blacky.

Memorials will be directed to the Parkinson's Foundation.