RICHFIELD MAN DIES IN COAST SATURDAY -

Funeral Held Here Monday for Sterling K. Heppler

The tribute of friends who understood him, characterized the talks given at funeral services held Monday afternoon in the Second ward chapel for Sterling K. Heppler, whose death in a Los Angeles hospital Saturday came as a shock to his friends here. The musical numbers too bore a message of consolation. They were the selections, "Come Ye Disconsolate," and "Sometime We'll Understand," by a quartet composed of Mrs Helen Poulson, Mrs. Florence Anderson, H. B. Mendenhall and Lynn W. Fawns; "The Perfect Day," and "Going Home," by a ladies trio composed of Mrs. Poulson, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Margaret Blomquist. Miss Melba Cope played the piano accompaniment. The floral tributes were profuse and beautiful.

Judge N. J. Bates, the first speaker called attention to the fact that those attending the services represented all walks of life, illustrative of the wide circle in which Mr. Heppler found his friends. He stated that Mr. Heppler was one of his first students when he came to Richfield as a teacher in 1904, and that he watched him through life, when he attended the L. D. S. business college, later when he worked in the bank, when he studied law and when he practiced his profession, and stressed the fact that he retained in later life his early characteristics of kindliness, courteousness, affability, tender heartedness and an artistic temperament and that everything he did bore the stamp of thoroughness. He stated that while Mr. Heppler was not devoutly religious, in the sense of being bound tight to the creeds of his church, deep in his heart there grew virtues that characterized the teachings of Christ and at one time in the office of Judge Bates he had expressed his views in the simple quotation "Hope Whispers Immortality and Love."

The second speaker, bishop Jas. P. Jensen of Sandy spoke feelingly of his early acquaintance with Mr. Heppler's wife, Hazel Smith Heppler when she was a little girl in Atlanta, Georgia and later when she became his stenographer and advanced to an enviable position in her chosen field, at which time she met Mr. Heppler while he was laboring as an L. D. S. missionary in the southern states.

A. J. Ashman spoke with appreciation of Mr. Heppler's personal charm, a quality possessed by his mother, still affectionately remembered throughout Sevier valley as "Grandma" Heppler, and by the family in general he stressed the fact that Mr. Heppler had the courage to live his own way and refuse to be institutionalized. He spoke of him as a man with an independent mind, speculative, studious, sensitive, intelligent and expressed the hope "that the new generation will lift us up so we can encourage instead of submerge such minds in a social and economic order where the struggle to make a living makes it seem impossible for them to live." He repeated the quotation "Your pattern may be better than my independence, but if that independence can be preserved there is hope of moving forward." Speaking to the family of their loss he said "It might bring out something in your lives far greater than if this particular phenomenon had not happened,"

Resolutions of respect from the Sixth Judicial Bar association were read by Henry E. Beal.

Bishop W. L. Warner, who presided at the services, made a few closing remarks, stressing the thoroughness of the work done by Mr. Heppler while he was city attorney and extending to the bereaved family the sympathy of the citizens of Richfield.

The opening prayer was offered by Patriarch H. J. Hansen; the benediction by bishop Alex Jensen.

Interment was in the city cemetery. W. A. Seegmiller dedicated the grave.

Pallbearers were Mr. Heppler's brothers, J. E., Andrew, Frank, Arthur, Chas. M. and Roscoe Heppler. The flowers were carried by friends of Mrs. Heppler, under direction of the Relief society.

Mr. Hepplers health had not been as good as usual the past two months. He suffered a heart attack Wednesday of last week and was taken to the hospital, where he passed away Friday.

Mr. Heppler, for years a prominent lawyer in Richfield, until he moved with his family to Los Angeles about a year ago, was born at Glenwood July 22, 1889, a son of Andrew and Lucy Seegmiller Heppler. As a boy he attended the schools in Richfield and later graduated from the L. D. S. business college in Salt Lake. He studied law at Georgetown University, Washington D. C., at which time he was secretary to Milton H. Welling former Utah congressman. After graduating from the law school he practiced law here until he went to Los Angeles. He served from 1926 to 1932 as Richfield city attorney. He served as an L. D. S. missionary in the southern states from 1911 to 1913. His marriage to Hazel Smith took place in the Salt Lake temple June 24, 1914.

Surviving besides his widow, are three sons, Kendall, Harold and Roland; one daughter, Hazel Larue and the following brothers and sisters; J. E. Heppler, Andrew Heppler, Arthur L. Heppler and Mrs. Lorenzo Maddison, Salt Lake City; Chas. M. Heppler, Twin Falls, Idaho; Lamar Heppler, Berkeley, California; Rosco Heppler, Tremonton; John Heppler, Canada; Frank Heppler, Mrs. A. K. Hansen, Mrs. James M. Peterson, Mrs. Elise Stillman, Mrs. H. N. Hayes and Miss Anna Heppler of Richfield.

All of the brothers and sisters were here for the services except Lamar and John Heppler, and Mrs. Lorenz Maddison. Others here for the services were Mrs. Millie Acord, a cousin, Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Taylor and Adelbert Bigler of Provo and Bishop Jas. P. Jensen of Sandy.

Published in the Richfield Reaper 1934-07-26