Jerome Koppi

Jerome George Koppi, 84, of Beulah, ND died suddenly Monday, November 11, 2024 at Banner Gateway Hospital in Mesa, AZ. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CST on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Beulah with Fr. Thomas Grafsgaard officiating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Beulah.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church with a rosary at 9:30 AM.

Jerome was born June 10, 1940 at Bismarck, ND to George and Selma (Erbele) Koppi.  He was raised at the Zap Collieries Mine Camp until the age of 10 when the family moved to Beulah in 1950 where he continued his education and graduated in 1958 from Beulah High School.  Jerome was the catcher for the 1956 State Baseball Champion, Beulah Miners.  After high school, Jerome worked briefly for the Northern Pacific Railroad prior to joining the USAF in 1959.  Upon his honorable discharge in 1963, Jerome moved to Phoenix, Az where he worked with a friend of the family in the home building business.  In 1966, Jerome moved back to Beulah where he met his wife, Dee (Hilz) Koppi and were married on April 1, 1967 and through this marriage, they brought into the world their only son, Scott.  Jerome owned various businesses including Koppi’s Jack & Jill, Sportsman’s Bar and Sportsman’s Liquor.  In 1983, he began work at the Dakota Gasification Co. and Basin Electric Cooperative until his retirement in 1998.  In 2001, Jerome lost his wife of 34 years, Dee to a courageous battle with cancer.  On September 9, 2006, Jerome married Karen Bronson and they made their home in Beulah during the summer and Mesa, Az in the winter until his death. 

In Jerome’s earlier years, he was active in hunting, fishing, golfing, darts and umpiring High School football and in his later years at the age of 70, baseball games where he was able to umpire games that grandson Logan played in.  He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Beulah and also various organizations including the Eagles and Elks.  He loved spending time with family and friends, including 7 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren that he was able to watch grow up, a special friendship that was developed with Calvin and Ramona Hagen while wintering in Arizona and his coffee group in Beulah.  He always had a joke to tell and so many sayings that would make you laugh.   A huge highlight for Jerome was his son taking him to Super Bowl 49 and a 3-game baseball series in St. Louis to watch our New England Patriots and St. Louis Cardinals.  When someone would ask Jerome how he was doing, he would always say “Better than most, worse than some”.   For Jerome it was God, Family and Country.  He will be missed by all who knew him.

Jerome is survived by his wife of 18 years, Karen, Beulah, ND; son Scott (Karla) Koppi, Mesa, AZ; Step-daughter Kim (Kelly) Kessler, Beulah, ND; Step-son Troy (Marie) Bronson, Tulsa, OK; Sister-in-Law Bernita Beeks, Fort Walton Beach, FL; Sister-in-Law, Ramona Hagen, Summit, SD; many nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Jerome was proceeded in death by his parents, his first wife Dee, his mother and father-in-law, brother-in-law (Clifford Beeks) and brother-in-law (Calvin Hagen).

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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