Dixie Poppen

Dixie Jennine Poppen, age 87, of Cole Camp, MO, formerly of Milbank, SD, passed away on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Good Samaritan Care Center in Cole Camp, Missouri. She was born on December 21, 1937, in Champaign, IL, to Paul and Helen (McGaughey) McGuire.

The family will receive friends at the Fox Funeral Home in Cole Camp, MO, on Thursday, October 30, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service to follow at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD, with Pastor Christopher Davis officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Sunday. All are invited to a meal and fellowship time immediately following the service. Burial will be on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Albee, SD.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page. 

Dixie grew up and attended school in Champaign, IL, where she played basketball and her violin in the school band. During high school, Dixie worked at a local department store. She graduated from Central High School in 1955 and went on to the University of Illinois, seeking a degree in elementary education and working as a secretary there.

She met Jerry Poppen when he was out with his friends Jim and Peggy Paden (Dixie's best friend) during his leave from the US Navy. She stayed in touch with Jerry, writing him letters while he was at sea. After his discharge from the military, they were united in marriage by Rev. Harry Eshelm on July 3, 1960, at the Church of the Brethren in Champaign, IL. This union was blessed with the gift of five children: Richard, Terry, Kenneth, James, and Jennifer.

They lived in Champaign, IL, before moving to Independence, MO, then to Iowa, and finally settled in Milbank, SD. Dixie juggled her workload raising kids and working for Earl Bohlen at Whetstone Realty. In November of 1978, she took a job as church secretary at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD, where she was an active member of the church's Ladies Circle. She was the secretary at Emanuel for 25 years, and as any good pastor knows, she was really actually in charge of the church.

Dixie was known to throw on her chauffeur's hat to haul the kids to their practices and games and throw on a referee shirt for all their arguments. She retired in May of 2002 and enjoyed every minute spent traveling to see her grandchildren and attending their events and special occasions. Meeting with her friends for coffee was a must so she could get in on all the news, and very important to her was setting her VCR to record “General Hospital” and other soap operas. She also loved to work jigsaw puzzles, work on putting together photo albums for her children, watch and read mysteries, and solve her word searches. Spending time with her children and grandchildren was her very favorite thing to do. She was always cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, and helping however she could. She was an amazing mother and grandmother!

When Dixie’s health declined, she moved to St. Williams Care Center in Milbank, SD, where Jerry visited her every day until he passed. She soon moved to Good Samaritan Care Center in Cole Camp, MO, in June of 2024.

She is survived by her children: Richard Poppen of Milbank, SD; Terry (Amy) Poppen of Rowlett, TX; James (Becky) Poppen of Cambridge, MN; and Jennifer (Scott) Horne of Cedar Park, TX; sister, Becky (David) Dillingham of Champaign, IL; brother-in-law, Gerry Johnson of Indianapolis, IN; eleven grandchildren: Brandon (Kacie) Perkins, Landry Poppen, Mason Poppen, Jonah (Rebekah) Poppen, Elizabeth (Collin) Anderson, Peyton Horne, Brady (Hailey) Horne, Dillon Horne, Addison Horne, Tyler (Katie) Poppen, and Carly (Tyler) Brehmer; and eight great-grandchildren: Dean, Hank, August, Grace, Maci, Alex, Aiden, Owen, Eldon, and Bennett.

Dixie was preceded in death by her parents: Paul and Helen McGuire; her husband, Gerald Poppen; her infant son, Kenneth Wayne Poppen; her sister, Mitzie Johnson; and her brother, Jack McGuire.

The family suggests memorial contributions be given to Emanuel Lutheran Church. Arrangements are under the direction of the Fox Funeral Home, Cole Camp. Dixie's obituary was lovingly written by her family. 

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