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Funeral services for William "Willie" Hepper age 89, of Mobridge will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday December 22, 2021 at Kesling Funeral Home.

Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be from 5-7 pm Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at Kesling Funeral Home. The family requests masks be worn at visitation and the funeral services.

William Raymond “Willie”

Hepper was born on November 28, 1932 in Sioux County, ND to Rose (Mattis) and Rudolph Hepper. He joined his brothers Calvin, Edward and Adolph, and his sister Emma. They were later joined by Rudy, Norma, Stanley, Alvin, Harold and Ronnie.

Willie graduated from McLaughlin High School in 1950 and worked on the family farm until volunteering for Army service in 1954, where he served in Japan. After his discharge in 1956, he worked in Kalispell, Montana as a lineman before moving back to Selfridge.

Willie married Cecilia “Sis” Imberi on September 29, 1956, and they settled in McLaughlin, where they co-owned the Corner Bar with his brother-in-law Tony Schneider and sister Norma. In 1963, Willie and family moved to Mobridge where they ran the Gay Time bar on South Main Street.

In 1972, Willie sold the Gay Time and was able to follow his life’s main passion of farming and ranching full time. For the next 36 years, he and Sis ran their operation from a place on the southeast side of Mobridge, operating from land on the east and west side of the river. In 2008, they moved to town, and Willie began the slow process of retirement.

Willie’s civic activities included work on the Mobridge Rodeo board and being a hard-working member of the Moose Club.

Willie is survived by his wife, Cecelia; “Sis” children Kenny, Kelly, Larry (Kendra), Kim (Leonard Linde) and Jim, grandchildren Karolina, Alexandra (Justin) Rapetti, Travis, Laurel Linde, Clayton (Sheila), Jacob, Hudson, Sabrina (Daniel) Dehart and Troy, and great-grandchildren Calvin and Julia. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Lauri, and brothers Eddie, Ronnie, Calvin, Adolph and Alvin.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to New Hope Cancer Foundation- P.O. Box 422-Mobridge, SD 57601.