Eugene George K. Schoeppel was born in Ransom Kansas, on Friday, October 15, 1926, the last of eleven children. Eugene's birthing parents were Peter Frank and Elizabeth Magdalene "Lauber" Kreutzer, who operated a small creamery in Ransom, Kansas until Peter's sudden death on February 1, 1931. Eugene's brother, Leonard Joseph Kreutzer, at the time was only 16 years of age, continued with the operation of the creamery business for three years.

During the hard times and being a very young child Eugene made his first fifty cents pulling weeds for a neighbor and with it, his mother sent him to the store to purchase a sack of sugar. Eugene also dusted shelves in the L.B. Dubbs grocery store and earned wood crates to take home and make airplanes and other wood toys.

When he was in the third and fourth grades, he carried the school news from the grade school to the printing shop (located just north of the present First State Bank Building). He thought it was really an honor and privilege to be able to help his teachers.

In 1937, he and his mother moved to Brandon, Nebraska to be near three of her sons. There Eugene attended a small country school south of Brandon, later moving and attending school at Grant, Nebraska for about three months.

Due to his mother's ill health, in April 1938, she passed away in a Great Bend, Kansas hospital. Eugene being only a 12 year old child lived for a while with his brother Simon and his family in Leoti, Kansas, finally moving to Ransom by train to make his home with friends John Raymond and Dr. Ida (Haug) Schoeppel.

Eugene helped John in his farming operation and graduated from Ransom High School in May, 1945 with a class of 12 students.

September, 1952, Eugene was thinking of joining the United States Air Force so the Schoeppel family thought it best to change his name to Eugene George K. Schoeppel, should anything happen to him while in the service.

On November 17 ^th , 1952 he left for Parks Air Force Base near Hayward, California for his basic training. Following basic training, he attended Aircraft and Engine Mechanic School at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas from February 14, 1953 to August 1953, when he was transferred to Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas. In November 1954, he again attended Air Craft Maintenance Technician School at Sheppard Air Force Base. He was with the 815 ^th Headquarters Squadron at Forbes and received his honorable discharge with the rank of Staff Sergeant on November 17 ^th 1956. While in the service, he received the National Defense Service Medal award and the Good Conduct Medal award.

He married Clara Mae (Tobias) in a double-ring ceremony in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in El Reno, Oklahoma, on October 8, 1955 with the Rev. Thomas Duffy, officiating. He rented a three room furnished apartment in Topeka, Kansas for his new bride where they lived for their first 13 months of marriage.

After returning to Ransom, Kansas in November 1956, besides farming, Eugene enjoyed bowling on the Harkness Insurance team for three years. He built a new garage, a gift shop (later known as the Schoeppel's Private Museum) and several other small buildings on his home property. He and his wife tore down several old homes in the Ransom community. In 1995, Eugene built a replica of the first Catholic Church in Ransom, dated 1900 to 1914 then a new church was built. Some of the lumber used in this project came from an old home he tore down that was originally part of the first Catholic Church.

Eugene was an avid collector of Ransom memorabilia, yard sticks and coffee containers, all proudly displayed in the private museum. He had approximately 400 different brands of coffee represented.

Eugene passed away March 1, 2017 at the Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas after a short illness.

He is survived by his wife of the home, one daughter Annie McDaniel and one grandson Nathan McDaniel, both of Ransom, and many nieces and nephews.

Gene's funeral service will be on Monday, March 6, 2017, 2:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City with burial in the Ransom Cemetery.

Viewing will be on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Monday prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorial contribution may be given to the Trego County Lempke Memorial Hospital and the Trego County Historical Society.

Words of sympathy and support may be left for the family by writing in the guest book below.