Benjamin Ripperda Biography


	This biography appears on page 1858 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	A photo of Ben. Ripperda faces page 1856.


	BENJAMIN RIPPERDA is associated in an intimate way with Rev. 
William Kroeger, M. D., whose career is briefly narrated in a preceding 
sketch, and it is but consistent that he be accorded recognition in 
this connection. Mr. Ripperda was born in Jamestown, Wisconsin, on the 
13th of February, 1872, and is a son of Bernard and Caroline (Lager) 
Ripperda. He received his early educational training in the public 
schools of Lewisburg, that state, and then entered St. Joseph's 
College, at Dubuque, Iowa, where he was graduated as a member of the 
class of 1890, while three years later he was graduated in Baylies' 
Business College, in the same city, having there completed a thorough 
commercial course. After leaving this institution he was employed in a 
clerical capacity in a general merchandise establishment in Dubuque for 
one year, at the expiration of which he went to the city of St. Louis, 
Missouri, where he remained for fourteen months in the employ of the 
Plant Seed Company. The climate made such inroads on his health that he 
then returned to Wisconsin, locating in Cuba, where he had charge of 
the implement department of the hardware establishment of M. Hendricks 
& Companv until the autumn of 1897, when he came to South Dakota. Here 
he was for one year engaged in teaching school for Father Kroeger, in 
the parish, of the Epiphany, and then took charge of his office 
affairs, in the capacity of secretary to the Doctor. In 1898 he took up 
the study of medicine under the able preceptorship of the Doctor, and 
is now the consulting physician of the sanitarium and has charge of the 
office affairs. He is one of the graduated pupils of the sanitarium and 
has proved an able co-adjutor to Dr. Kroeger. He is a Democrat in 
politics and his religious faith is that of the Catholic church. He is 
a young man of much force and individuality and is held in high esteem 
in the community with which he has cast his lot.