Alva William Pueppke, 97, of Mitchell, died August 9 at Firesteel Healthcare Center. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, August 16 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Mitchell. Visitation will be from 6-8 PM on Monday at the Will Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery. Alva Pueppke was born on May 26, 1908, in Pierce County, Plainview, Nebraska to Henry and Mary (Nissen) Pueppke. When Alva was one year old, they moved ten miles north of Lisbon, ND. In 1912, they moved to Bordulac, ND where Alva attended grades 1 through 8. In 1924, his family moved to Loomis, SD where Alva completed two years of high school. In 1925, they moved to the Kelly Farm 7 miles north and 1 mile west of Mitchell, SD. Alvas family moved again in 1926-1927 south of Mitchell and then to the home place north of Mitchell in 1928. On April 26, 1931 Alva and Adeline Kumm were united in marriage at the WNAX radio station in Yankton by the Lutheran minister from Osmond, NE. The couple lived in various areas. He did carpentry work in the early years and helped build Mitchell area landmarks like the auditoriums in Ethan and Mt. Vernon, the Mitchell Armory and County Shed and the Corn Palace. On December 7, 1941, they moved to Berryville, Arkansas. Alva farmed and worked as a carpenter in Arkansas building two houses and four barns. In November of 1944, they moved back to Mitchell where they lived with Alvas parents. They moved to a farm south of Alexandria in 1945 and then in 1949, they moved north of Farmer, SD where he farmed for 23 years. While on the farm, Alva was president of the Fulton Farms Union and began the first 4-H Club in nearby Alexandria, SD. He retired in the fall of 1968 and the couple moved to Mitchell, SD. He sold insurance for four years and then became the janitor for Dakota Manufacturing and later Alva and Adeline were janitors for Zion Lutheran Church. Adeline died February 17, 1978. He married Esther (Lohman) Hogg on December 11, 1987 at Salina, Kansas. Esther died in 1989. In March, 1992, Alva sold his home and moved to Meadowlawn Plaza and lived there until October, 2001 when he moved in with his daughter, Lyla Van Briesen. He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church. He enjoyed fishing and playing cards. He is survived by his children: Dennis Pueppke, Hot Springs, SD, Don Pueppke and wife, Lois, Shirley Schuldt and husband, Donald, and Curtis Pueppke and wife, Shirley, all of Alexandria, SD; Lyla VanBriesen, of Mitchell, Judy Pueppke, Ft. Collins, CO, and Jane Leeling, and husband, Gary, of Burke, Virginia; fifteen grandchildren and his great grandchildren; one sister, Doris Bowar, of Mitchell and sisters-in-law, Loris Pueppke and Margaret Pueppke. He was preceded in death by his wife, Adeline, his wife, Esther, his parents, two brothers, Harvey and Lloyd and two sisters, Elsie Schumacher and Fern Martin.