Harold Poppe, age 85, of Decorah, Iowa passed away on Monday July 6, 2026 at Gunderson Hospital in LaCrosse, WI.

Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday July 18, 2026 at Washington Prairie Church 1725 Washington Prairie Rd., rural Decorah with Rev. Eric Thiele presiding, burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday July 17, 2026 at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E. Water Street, Decorah, IA 52101. There will be no visitation before the church service on Saturday morning, please come in and be seated.

The family would like to thank the staff at Barthell Eastern Star and Gundersen Health Clinic of La Crosse for their compassionate care towards Harold.

Harold Ralph Poppe was born September 6th, 1940, at the Cedar Valley Hospital in Charles City, Iowa. He was the youngest child of eight children born to Wilhelmina Anna Ida and Edmund August Henry Poppe. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. The family farm was six miles north of Nashua in Chickasaw County, Iowa.

Harold graduated from Nashua High School in 1958. Upon graduation he briefly worked for his brother Edmund on the farm, then began working at the Nashua lumberyard. In 1960 he moved to Decorah, living with his sister Wilma and brother-in-law Garland Morse, as he found work at a front-end alignment tire shop.

In Decorah he met the love of his life, a nice Norwegian girl, when he asked her for a dance at Matter’s Ballroom. He married Audrey Vangsness on October 21st, 1961, at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church. They continued to enjoy dancing throughout their marriage of 64+ years. They were blessed with three children, Elrick, Mark, and Linda.

Besides dancing, Harold loved to play cards, listen to country music, eat out with his family, watch his grandkids activities, and share his mechanical skills, helping family friends and neighbors with their projects. Harold also enjoyed woodworking, making many gifts and a bedroom set as a wedding gift for each of his children. He was known for his honesty and work ethic. Harold defined the word dependable to those that knew him.

Harold eventually bought the front-end alignment business, which we all know as Poppe’s Wheel Service, in downtown Decorah. Harold grew to know most everyone in town and “kept their wheels rolling.” Customers could always count on friendly service, quality work, and a fair price. If you stopped by, there were often others there socializing. His mechanical skills were legendary. There was nothing he couldn’t fix, repair or build. Converting a van into a motorhome with all the amenities is a prime example. His family has many fond memories of all the camping and traveling trips they took in that homemade camper. Harold also restored a 1941 Plymouth truck which his grandkids are now driving. When the Decorah Bank and Trust wanted to expand they bought Harold's business property downtown. Harold then moved his business to their Oak Street property. He continued serving the public from that location until his retirement at the age of 73, after operating Poppe’s Wheel Service for 52 years. Good friend, Milt Quam, made sure to schedule his car as the last appointment.

Harold is survived by his wife Audrey, sons Elrick (Karen) Poppe, Mark (Kirstie) Poppe, daughter Linda (Adrian) Walter, grandchildren Dane Poppe, Brynn Poppe, Levi (Alli) Poppe, Cade Poppe, Brig Poppe, Luke Walter, Adam Walter and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by one sibling, Wilbur (Yvonne) Poppe and brother-in-law Lee (Shirley) Vangsness.

He was preceded in death by siblings Caroline (George) Menken, Lydia (Vincent) Dingfelder, Edmund Jr. (Alma) Poppe, Wilma (Garland) Morse, Melba (Dalton) Compton, and Myrtle Poppe.

The family is grateful for the kindness and care provided by the staff at Barthel Eastern Star. Those who wish to honor Harold’s memory may make a memorial donation to Washington Prairie Lutheran Church or Barthel Eastern Star.