Hedwig “Hedy” Poepping passed away peacefully at the age of 96, on Monday, February 15, 2016. Visitation will be Thurs., Feb. 18, 2016 from 4-7PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake. Mass of Christian Burial will be Fri., Feb. 19, 2016 at 11AM at St. Leonard’s Catholic Church, Minneapolis, with visitation 1 hour prior. Father Leo Schnider will preside. Pall bearers will be Hedy’s grandchildren, Ryan Howard, Sam Howard, Andrew Poepping, and Michaela Poepping. Hedy will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Hedwig “Hedy” Katharina Poepping was born in Wimmis, Switzerland on August 4, 1919, the first child of Joseph and Josephine Aschwanden. As a child she performed well in school in spite of the teachers wondering on her first day, would she would ever sit still. As a young girl, Hedy enjoyed and often had to cross-country ski to the school. After completing her education, Hedy left Switzerland for England where she learned English working as a waitress at an exclusive resort. The girls on staff lived on the premises and developed lifelong friendships. Her next adventure took her to Holland where she once again waitressed at an exclusive resort. When WWII broke out, Dutch residents frequently treated Hedy and her Swiss friend poorly, since they spoke Swiss-German and people mistook them for Germans. They decided to sew little Swiss flags on their clothing to let people know they were from Switzerland and not Germany. Just after the outbreak of the war, the Swiss Government sent trains to Holland to bring it’s Swiss citizens home.
Upon her return Hedy began working once more at a resort in Engelberg, Switzerland. One night after the war ended she noticed an American GI peeking at her from behind a potted plant in the dining room. After only two dates and numerous exchanges of letters, Ed was discharged from the army and sent back to the states. Shortly after that, Hedy packed her bags, and boarded a ship to America, to be with her soldier and meet his family. Twelve days later, on November 23, 1946, Hedy and Ed were at Sacred Heart Church in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. She became an American citizen on April 12, 1949.
In 1947 while her husband and his partner opened St. Cloud Glass Company, Hedy continued to work waitressing for one year before joining them in their business venture. She worked at the glass shop greeting customers, bookkeeping and even cutting and grinding glass for customers if the men were out on a job. Hedy and Ed started their family after seven years of marriage with the birth of their first child Judy and four years later their son Ken. Hedy became a lover of animals, and so her home was not only blessed with children, but also pets, including dogs and a lovebird named “Peaches”. One of the family’s favorite things to do was spend time up north at their lake cabin near Grand Rapids, MN. Hedy often called her siblings and made periodic trips to visit them in Switzerland. She always loved to travel with her husband, and visited such places as Lebanon, Cancun, and Hawaii.
Hedy enjoyed playing bridge with her women’s group, participation in Legion of Mary events and spending time with family. Whenever family would visit, she often could be found working on a 1,500 piece puzzle in some degree of completion. Hedy loved to play games with her grandchildren and would make sure the cookie jar was filled with homemade cookies when they arrived. When family and friends would leave she was sure to send them off with a hug, and her signature quote, “Thanks a Million!” Hedy was a spiritual person, active in Legion of Mary Ministry and lived her faith by opening their home to four teenage foster girls over many years.
Hedy will be greatly missed by her children, Judy (Ed) Howard and Ken (Kathy) Poepping; grandchildren, Ryan Howard, Sam Howard, Andrew Poepping and Michaela Poepping; and sister Alice (Said) Chalabi, and several nephews and nieces. She is preceded in death by her husband Edmund; parents; five siblings; Otto Aschwanden, Albert Aschwanden, Olgi Zimmerly, Werner Aschwanden, Arthur Aschwanden.
