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Ruben D. Epp

Mountain Lake High, Mountain Lake, Minnesota, Class of 1939

LTJG Ruben Epp served on the USS Grundy (APA-111).

MLHS, The Lakers, 1939 Minnesota State Basketball Champions.

Narrative

Buried in Eveleth Cemetery, Eveleth, St. Louis County, Minnesota.

He was born Oct. 2, 1920, in Windom, Minn., to Daniel and Susie (Flaming) Epp. He grew up and attended school at Mountain Lake, Minn., graduating from Mountain Lake High School Class of 1939. He played basketball in high school, participating when Mountain Lake won the Minnesota High School championship and he was named All-State Player. He attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in teaching. He also was on the Minnesota Gopher basketball team. He was a Navy veteran, having served during World War II. He married Mavis L. Lund on Nov. 5, 1945, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Following marriage the couple lived in Cokato. He taught and coached basketball in the Cokato school system. In 1951, the couple moved to Mountain Iron, where they lived until making their home in Parkville in 1955. He taught in the Mountain Iron school system for 32 years. He coached basketball and assisted with football, later becoming the school's athletic director. He retired in 1983. The couple made their home in Virginia in 1996.

He was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church of Mountain Iron, the State of Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association, a lifetime member of the University of Minnesota "M" Club and a former member of the Yoki Bergman American Legion Post 220 of Mountain Iron.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.