David Poppke

David Poppke, 92, of Bismarck, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

Service will be held at 10:30 am on Tuesday, September 17th at First Lutheran Church. Following lunch after the service, interment will take place at the North Dakota Veteran's Cemetery south of Mandan.

David was born on April 15, 1927, in Goodrich, North Dakota to Theodore and Katharina (Felchle) Poppke. He attended school in Tuttle, ND. After school, he worked at the family business “Poppke Blacksmith” in Tuttle. He joined and served in the Navy from December 20, 1945 to November 24, 1947. After returning from the military he worked at and eventually purchased the Poppke Blacksmith Shop.

Dave was married in 1951 and from that union David Jr. and Kathy were born. On August 9, 1958, he married DeLaine Dick and together they had three children. David worked at St. Alexius Hospital until he retired in 1986. He was a member of First Lutheran Church. David enjoyed woodworking, traveling, gardening, camping, and fishing. He was also very active at Buckstop Junction. He participated in the Boy Scouts; including building camping trailers for several troops in the area. He may best be remembered as one of the founders of the Gateway to Science Center. His enthusiasm for teaching critical thinking skills and understanding principals of mechanics is embedded in many of the installations he and his son David built for the science center. He leaves a vibrant legacy at the Science Center.

David is survived by his wife, DeLaine; children David Jr. (Cindy), Kathy Poppke, Ted, Donna (Tom) Baumgartner, and Richard (Amy); fifteen grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren; and his sister, Irene Carter.

He was preceded in death by his siblings; Ted, Martha Wentz, Leone Dodge, Pauline Purdy, Herbert, John, Esther Charlesbois, and Walter “Buster”, and by a daughter-in-law, Connie Johnson Poppke.

Memorial gifts can be made in David’s name at the Gateway to Science Dave & DeLaine Poppke Scholarship or First Lutheran Church. The family would like to thank Visiting Angels and the CHI Health at Home Hospice Care.