A Celebration of Life Service to remember and honor the life and memory of Alphild "Alphy" Pieper, age 88, of Jackson, will be held Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 11AM at the United Methodist Church in Jackson with Pastor Russ Steele officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Cemetery in Jackson.

Alphild Elizabeth Synstelien was born on May 8, 1936, in Dalton, Minnesota to Elvin and Amanda (Dahlager) Synstelien. She was the seventh of eight children.

She started her education at a one room country school near Ashby, Minnesota. The family moved to southern Minnesota, near Jackson, when Alphild was 8 years old. She attended Petersburg School for one year and then Alpha School for one year before moving to Jackson where she graduated in the class of 1954.

Alphild worked for three years at Jackson Millworks. She then met and married the love of her life, Jim Pieper in 1957. This union blessed them with 4 children: Kenneth, Bertha "Bitsy", Keith, and Brenda.

In 1959, the family moved to War Road, Minnesota for one year and this is where Bitsy was born. The family then moved back to Jackson the following year. In 1967, the family moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa so Jim could open an automotive repair shop. They lived there for six months before moving to Sherburn, Minnesota in 1968. She worked at Blom's Chocolate Factory in Jackson for 2 years. She also worked at the newspaper in Sherburn at the Advanced Standard until 1978, when they moved to New Prague, Minnesota. The family became charter members of Heritage United Methodist Church in New Prague.

Alphild worked as a bookkeeper at a division of Minn-Valley Breeder, N.P. She also worked for Soft Soap factory at Chaska and then at a group home in Chaska for six years. She worked doing home care for an elderly woman and then she did the same job for an elderly couple. Alphild really enjoyed helping people and this showed through the great care she gave to her clients.

Alphild enjoyed reading books, quilting, embroidering, various crafts, attending craft shows, and spending time with her family and friends.

Alphild E. Pieper, age 88, passed away peacefully on June 24, 2024, at the Good Samaritan Society in Jackson, MN.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Elvin and Amanda Synstelien; husband, Jim; son, Kenneth Pieper; sister, Sylvia (Alvin) Knutson, Dagny (Wesley) Zimmerli; brothers; Carling (Eleanor) Synstelien, Robert (Mary) Synstelien, Harold (Lois) Synstelien; brothers-in-law, Floyd Henricks; sisters-in-law, Audrey Pieper, Rose (Ed) Lloyd, Delores (Robert) Williams; son-in-law, Rob Ehlers and a few nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her three children: Bitsy (Travis) Murdock of Grandview, TX, Keith Pieper of Jackson, Brenda Ehlers of New Prague; two grandchildren, Brandon Murdock and Bryan Ehlers; great grandchild, Elizabeth; sister, Margaret Henricks; brother, Richard Synstelien; sister-in-law, Maryterese Synstelien; brother- in- law, Charles Pieper and numerous nieces and nephews.