Vivian M. Chipps

Vivian Maxine Chipps, 88, passed away December 23, 2012 at Rose Lane Home in Loup City, NE.  Memorial services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 26, 2012 at the United Methodist Church in Loup City with the Reverend Barbara Spangler officiating.  Cremation has been held.  Immediately following will be a celebration of Vivian’s life at the Colony In in Loup City.  Memorials may be sent to the family (Tami Jonak in Loup City or Charlene Kampfe in Tucson, AZ) or to donor’s choice.  Family choice of memorials will be determined at a later date.

Vivian was born to Fred and Eva Robinson on February 26, 1924, weighing only three pounds.  She spent her childhood and young adulthood in Litchfield, NE where she lived with her parents, and two sisters, Mildred and Doris and met Royce Chipps, her husband.  She attended and graduated from Litchfield High School where she worked in the library, was a high school cheerleader, and established many life-long friendships.

Early in their marriage, Vivian and Royce lived on a family farm south of Litchfield.  They then moved in to Litchfield where they lived until 1950 and moved for a brief time to Burwell, NE.  In 1951, they moved to Loup City, NE where the owned and operated Loup City Propane and were active in the community.

While living in Loup City, Vivian, Royce and their family presented the community with a building to be used as a community center.  Vivian was also active in the Methodist Church where she was responsible for commemorating members’ special events by sending cards and gifts from the church.  The family remembers her sending at least 30 cards per month.  She received a Certificate of Appreciation Award for Extraordinary work in the Area of Missions from the church.

Vivian was an active volunteer in the Loup City High Schools FHA.  She received the Chapter Mother Award for her work on the behalf of students in this organization.

Vivian also worked part time in Custom Floral in Loup City for her daughter Tami and son-in-law, Ed and was a life saver on many occasions!

She also was the best Grandma ever, shuttling the grandkids and their friends to and from school on snowy days and even having after school snacks ready!

Vivian was known for her kindness, her generosity, her happy countenance, her sense of humor, her high spirits and facility for having fun, her resilience, her flexibility, her musical talents, her intelligence, her facial expressions, her great cooking, her sense of decency, her ability to stand up for what she believed was right, her desire and ability to help others, and her respectful/non-judgmental listening skills.  She loved dancing, singing, driving her car, having mini-adventures, being a mother and grandmother, and most recently great grandmother, being a sister and cousin, spending time with her family and long-term friends, laughing, eating/cooking exciting new foods, caring for small animals, and visiting with young people.  She believed in angels and in the support of loved ones who had already passed.  To her family she was an angel on earth.  Among those closest to her, she was called Viv, Vivian, Babe, Baby Sister, Mamma Bear, Mom, Mutty, and Grandma.  She was a fantastic daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend.  Many people have indicated that she changed their lives as she helped and listened to them.

During her most recent years, she lived at Rose Lane Home, where, based on her kindness, she and her family established the “Vivian M. Chipps Random Acts of Kindness Award” that monthly acknowledged employees who were especially kind to residents or family members of residents.  Nominations for this award could be made by residents, family members, Rose Lane Staff, and community members.

Survivors include her daughter, Charlene Kampfe and her husband Ron Kampfe of Tucson, AZ; daughter, Tamra Jonak and her husband Ed Jonak of Loup City, NE; grandson, Christopher Jonak of Lincoln, NE; granddaughter, Lindsey Sullivan and her husband Neil Sullivan of Lincoln, NE; great grandson, Auron (son of Lindsey and Neil), and her sister, Mildred Meyer of Columbus, NE.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Royce Chipps; sister, Doris VanZandt; parents, Fred and Eva Robinson; in-laws, Paul and Mattie Chipps and cousin Lillian Whitehead.