Service of Remembrance for Carvel Kopren, 86, of Rapid City, SD, formerly of Bison, SD will be Thursday, January 4, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Bison. Fr. Brian Fawcett will officiate and burial with Military Honors will follow at the Bison Cemetery.

Visitations will be from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Bison and one hour prior to the service on Thursday morning.


CARVEL N. KOPREN was born on March 16, 1920 to Nellie and Chris Kopren, south of Bison, SD. Carvel grew up in the Lone Tree Township and that is where he attended grade school. As Carvel grew up he worked for local farms and tended cattle.


Carvel was married on April 26, 1941 in Baker, MT to Julia Christina Deibert. Once married, he spent a short time with the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, Carvel began working for the South Dakota Highway Department. He worked diligently with the Highway Department in Bison, SD for 38 years, until he retired in 1985. Carvel was also a member of the Bison Volunteer Fire Department and the American Legion. Carvel enjoyed bowling and playing golf in his younger years. He and Julia lived together in Bison until 2002, when they moved to Rapid City, SD. Carvel Kopren passed away at his residence in Rapid City on December 25, 2006.

Those he shared his wonderful life with include his wife, Julia; four sons, Ron (Judy) Kopren and Tim Kopren, all of Rapid City, David (Paula) Kopren, of Bison, SD, Gary (Trish) Kopren, of Phoenix, AZ; one granddaughter, Ann (Jason) Erpelding, of Cary, IL; three grandsons, Mike Kopren, of Rapid City, Kristopher Kopren, of Phoenix, AZ and Michael Kopren, of Bison; two step-grandsons, Brad (Kristen) and Chris (Kortney) Seidel, of Bison and two great grandsons, Alex and Kyle Erpelding, of Cary, IL and step great-granddaughter, Kahlea Seidel, of Bison.

Preceding Carvel in death was his only daughter, Sharon Kopren.