Ethelyn (Coombs) Pepple, 96 passed away on Monday, June 10, 2013, in Gillette, WY.

Funeral services will be Sunday, June 16, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in McClusky, ND with burial in the McClusky City Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service. Arrangements with the Hertz Funeral Home, McClusky, ND.

Ethelyn was born in Wilton, North Dakota, on December 16, 1916, the eldest of five children born to Walter and LaVonnen (Williams) Coombs. She spent her early years on a farm in North Dakota in the Pickardville area. The family lived in Wisconsin for a brief time. Ethelyn received her high school diploma from the American School of Correspondence in Chicago. After graduation she moved to the Anamoose area with her family until she obtained her first job as a maid in the Bismarck area. She then worked as a maid in Seattle before going to Oklahoma City to pursue Deaconess and Nurse's training. She graduated as a Deaconess and OB nurse in 1942. After serving as an associate pastor at the Newkirk, OK, Free Methodist Church for a brief time, she enrolled in Greenville College, IL, where she met Elzie Pepple. They were married on July 20, 1944. Following Elzie's graduation from college, the couple moved to Texas, where Elzie was a Free Methodist pastor. From 1947 - 1949, they lived in Jamestown, ND, and from 1949 - 1952, in Valley City. They then moved to Wessington Springs, SD, where Ethelyn received her junior college degree in 1955. Elzie decided to attend seminary in Kentucky, so the family moved to Scottsville, and then White Plains. Ethelyn taught school in both places. In 1957, they moved to Rapid City, SD, where Elzie pastored the Free Methodist Church, and Ethelyn taught school for five years. She continued work on her college degree at Black Hills Teachers' College during this time. In 1964, Elzie was transferred to Fargo, ND, and Ethelyn completed her degree at Moorhead State University in 1965. She then taught at Sharp School in Moorhead, Minnesota, until she retired in 1978. In retirement, Elzie and Ethelyn spent several years in Washington State, living first in Tacoma and then briefly in Centralia. Following Elzie's death on August 30, 2000, Ethelyn moved to Gillette, WY, to be closer to family. She remained in Gillette until her death. She is survived by Also surviving are her children, Charlotte (Wayne) Brown, Las Vegas, NV, Daniel (Carol) Pepple of Seattle, WA, and Ruth (Harley) Reile of Sheridan, WY. She leaves her grandchildren, Stephen Brent (Trish) Elliott, Timothy (Dawn) Brown, Erin Elliott, Stacie (James) Mahoney, Tyler (Rebecca) Pepple, Mark (Rachel) Pepple, Tammy Reile, Troy (Alexandra) Reile, Anna (Joshua) Dinwiddie, and Andrea Tuttle, ten great-grandchildren; brothers, Sidney Coombs of Garden City, KS, and Edward (MaryAnn) Coombs of Martin, ND.