Last weekend, Bob Jeppesen bid South Haven a fond farewell after living there for 72 years. He moved to live in the Gloria Dei Manor in Litchfield and took with him almost a century’s worth of memories from the town he always called home. “I have lived in South Haven since 1932 when my dad bought the general store,” Jeppesen said. “I used to know everyone in town, every kid by their first name.” The people of South Haven will also have their share of memories of Jeppesen. In 1937, five years after moving to the town, Jeppesen got married and bought his father’s store. He and his family ran the “Jeppesen Store” for the next 57 years. He still recalls the loyalty of the customers who came to his store. “People used to say ‘Bob, if you don’t have it, we don’t need it’,” Jeppesen said. Now that he has left South Haven, one of the things he knows he will miss is having meals with his friends at the Senior Dinning Site in Kimball, something he has done religiously for the past 13 years. “I used to drive five times a week to Kimball but they [my children] say I shouldn’t drive, even though I took a driver’s test a few months ago and passed,” 91-year-old Jeppesen said. “They are afraid that I might fall asleep while driving.” Last Friday was his last dinner there, and in his honor the Senior Dining Site did its best to make it a special occasion for him. “The coordinator arranged for a special coffee time in his honor and I think he appreciated it,” said Maymie Ecker, a long-time friend of Jeppesen and a volunteer at the Senior Dining Site. While he is reluctant to leave the town he has become such a part of, he is aware of the advantages of living in a senior home. “I hate to move, but people just don’t visit anymore,” Jeppesen said. “But I am a bit happy. A lot of the people there (at Gloria Dei Manor) I have known for a long time.” At least by living in the senior home, he said, he would be able to interact with people frequently and get the chance to play cards, his favorite pastime, more often. He has family there, too. His sister, Shirley Dollerschell, also resides in the nursing home. “He wasn’t happy about moving at first, but I think he’ll like it once he sees all the advantages there,” Ecker said. “I think he’ll make his adjustments.” Jeppesen’s daughter-in-law Chris is confident that he will eventually be happy at his new home. She said he is already seeing the benefits of living there. “He has told us that it is so much easier there,” Chris Jeppesen said. “He doesn’t have to walk up or down the stairs for anything. Everything is so convenient.” Some people in South Haven who are old enough may remember that Jeppesen was an avid dancer of the fox trot and the waltz. In fact, the last time he danced was just last New Year’s eve. But he doesn’t think he’ll do it again this year. “I loved to dance but I can’t anymore. I move too slow,” Jeppesen said. “I’ll just be lucky to be here (this New Year’s).”
