Submitted by: Dan Rich

South Bend Tribune 7/8/2003

Frieda Trippel

July 1, 1906 -- July 6, 2003

Frieda Schramm Trippel, 97, of 100 Center Hi Rise, Mishawaka, Ind., died after a lengthy illness in the home of her stepchildren, Paul and Phyllis Trippel, who were caring for her.

She was the last surviving child of 11 children of Thomas and Brigitta Vogel of Hechingen, Germany. In 1923, at the age of 16, she immigrated to Mishawaka and worked and lived in the house that is now the Hacienda at the 100 Center as an au pair for the Adolph Kamm family. She assisted her two sisters, Genevive Vogel Zeiler and Agnes Vogel Petzke, immigrate to this area. Her surviving nephew and niece in Mishawaka are Alfred Zeiler (his children, Patricia (Ray) Kline, Barbara (Larry) Lymgrover and Fredrick B. Zeiler) and Ann Zeiler Hood. All three sisters assisted their nephew, Joseph Vogel, to immigrate to Mishawaka. He preceded her in death. Maria Vogel De Dapper of Mishawaka is his daughter.

In 1925 she married Joseph Schramm (died 1978) in St. Joseph Church, Mishawaka, who also immigrated separately to this country as a journeyman stone carver and helped his uncle build the courthouse. She has two sons, Joseph (Jeanne Hirn) Schramm of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Karl Schramm. She has five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

In 1985 she married Carl Trippel (died 1994, a retired brick mason) in St. Joseph Church, Mishawaka. They were very active in church and Harvest House. Her stepchildren are Paul (Phyllis) Trippel, Irene (Cyril) Devliegher, Edward (Geraldine) Trippel, Raymond (Dorothy) Trippel, Thomas (Helen) Trippel of Mishawaka and William (Barbara) Trippel of New Jersey; with 23 step-grandchildren (one preceded her in death), 14 step-great-grandchildren and three step-great-great-grandchildren.

She worked at Ball Band (Uniroyal) until retirement in 1967, served as a shop steward in Department 108, and served as director of the Ball Band Credit Union. After retirement she performed ten+ years of volunteer work in the community and church. She continued to drive and manage her affairs well after she reached 92. She was an avid traveler and card player who usually won. She traveled numerous times to Europe, including taking her sons and staying at her family home in Germany with her nephew, Bert (Ava) Locher and son, Miki. She set a record in Germany in 1995 (age 91) for the oldest person to ride down a mountain on a toboggan.

Visitation will be 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Bubb Funeral Chapel, 3910 N. Main St., Mishawaka. A Rosary service will be held at 4 p.m. in the funeral chapel. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mishawaka. Burial will take place at Highland Cemetery, South Bend.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of St Joseph County, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637; to St. Joseph Church, Mishawaka; and to Chiara Home, 1105 W. Jefferson, South Bend, IN 46601.