Mabel Veronica Rupp
December 22, 1921 — January 15, 2021
Mabel Pfile Rupp
Mabel Veronica (Pfile) Rupp was born 22 December 1921, in Lancaster Township, Stephenson County Illinois, 4th daughter, 7th child of William and Olive Fortner Pfile. She graduated from Dakota High School in 1939 where she was editor of the yearbook, attended Goshen College for one year, and graduated from LaJunta (Colorado) Mennonite School of Nursing in 1943 with an RN degree. She then volunteered as a nurse in a Civilian Public Service unit in Three Rivers, California, where she met her future Husband. She married John J. Rupp, son of John and Almeda Rupp, on 9 June 1946. John was born 12 May 1922, died 2 Sept 2005.
Mabel and John had two children: Jay Allen, born 3 July 1957, died 9 Sept 2006, buried in the Alanson, MI cemetery; and Janis Marie born 12 September 1959, died 28 June 2012, buried next to Jay in MI.
After their marriage they built a home on Crooked Lake, Alanson, MI while working in the family Al-Meda Chocolates business with Mom and Dad Rupp. The home was specifically designed with a room for making and selling their now famous hand dipped Al-Meda Chocolates. They had bought the business from Mom and Dad at that time.
In 1950 at the urging of some of their customers, they explored expanding the business to Boynton Beach, FL, they opened in 1953, made and sold candy during the winter months. They sold the chocolate business in 1983 and retired. They enjoyed traveling and especially in their Motor Home with friends throughout the Continental US, Alaska and Canada. They also traveled in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Fuji and Hawaii.
Mabel was raised in a Christian home and was an active Christian all her life. She was baptized in the Freeport Mennonite Church, became a member of the Evangelical United Brethren church and then the Trinity Missionary Church in Petoskey, Mi, where her membership remained. While in FL she and John attended the Bible Town Community Church, later named the Boca Raton Community Church in Boca Raton, FL.
Later in life, John developed dementia and spent the last 3+ years of his life in the memory unit of a Nursing Home. Mabel faithfully visited him nearly every day throughout his years there.
As age began to take its toll, maintaining the Michigan home became a burden Mabel preferred not to have. That real estate and personal property was liquidated in 2009.
She continued to live in Boynton Beach FL providing a home for grandson Shanon David Soltau and his daughter Summer. As dementia began to become a factor, Mabel moved in Sept 2013 to Allentown, PA to live with her niece Kathy Vallarta Shorter. She lived in Kathy’s home until Sept 2016. She then chose to move back to Freeport, IL, to be near more of her family; and into Hawthorne Inn assisted living facility. She later moved into the Parkview Homes memory care unit where she remained until the Lord took her home.
She will be interred next to John, her husband and companion of 59 years, at Palm Beach Memorial Park, 3691 North Seacrest Boulevard, Lantana, FL at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 29, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Samaritan's Purse https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ in memory of Mable Pfile Rupp.
Mabel Veronica (Pfile) Rupp was born 22 December 1921, in Lancaster Township, Stephenson County Illinois, 4th daughter, 7th child of William and Olive Fortner Pfile. She graduated from Dakota High School in 1939 where she was editor of the yearbook, attended Goshen College for one year, and graduated from LaJunta (Colorado) Mennonite School of Nursing in 1943 with an RN degree. She then volunteered as a nurse in a Civilian Public Service unit in Three Rivers, California, where she met her future Husband. She married John J. Rupp, son of John and Almeda Rupp, on 9 June 1946. John was born 12 May 1922, died 2 Sept 2005.
Mabel and John had two children: Jay Allen, born 3 July 1957, died 9 Sept 2006, buried in the Alanson, MI cemetery; and Janis Marie born 12 September 1959, died 28 June 2012, buried next to Jay in MI.
After their marriage they built a home on Crooked Lake, Alanson, MI while working in the family Al-Meda Chocolates business with Mom and Dad Rupp. The home was specifically designed with a room for making and selling their now famous hand dipped Al-Meda Chocolates. They had bought the business from Mom and Dad at that time.
In 1950 at the urging of some of their customers, they explored expanding the business to Boynton Beach, FL, they opened in 1953, made and sold candy during the winter months. They sold the chocolate business in 1983 and retired. They enjoyed traveling and especially in their Motor Home with friends throughout the Continental US, Alaska and Canada. They also traveled in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Fuji and Hawaii.
Mabel was raised in a Christian home and was an active Christian all her life. She was baptized in the Freeport Mennonite Church, became a member of the Evangelical United Brethren church and then the Trinity Missionary Church in Petoskey, Mi, where her membership remained. While in FL she and John attended the Bible Town Community Church, later named the Boca Raton Community Church in Boca Raton, FL.
Later in life, John developed dementia and spent the last 3+ years of his life in the memory unit of a Nursing Home. Mabel faithfully visited him nearly every day throughout his years there.
As age began to take its toll, maintaining the Michigan home became a burden Mabel preferred not to have. That real estate and personal property was liquidated in 2009.
She continued to live in Boynton Beach FL providing a home for grandson Shanon David Soltau and his daughter Summer. As dementia began to become a factor, Mabel moved in Sept 2013 to Allentown, PA to live with her niece Kathy Vallarta Shorter. She lived in Kathy’s home until Sept 2016. She then chose to move back to Freeport, IL, to be near more of her family; and into Hawthorne Inn assisted living facility. She later moved into the Parkview Homes memory care unit where she remained until the Lord took her home.
She will be interred next to John, her husband and companion of 59 years, at Palm Beach Memorial Park, 3691 North Seacrest Boulevard, Lantana, FL at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 29, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Samaritan's Purse https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ in memory of Mable Pfile Rupp.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mabel Veronica Rupp, please visit our flower store.