Ft. Madison lost a true booster Saturday night. Dan Reppert, age 83. who had been proud to call Ft. Madison his home for the last 34 years, died peacefully at his home with family by his side on Saturday, April 12, 2025, after a long illness. Arthur Daniel Reppert II was born in Burlington, IA, on January 28, 1942. He was the only child of Robert A. Reppert and Evva Maude Reppert, owners of the White House Dairy. Dan graduated from Burlington High School and attended Luther College before graduating from Iowa Wesleyan College with a degree in history. He taught high school Speech and Drama in both Burlington and Southern California before moving on to other interests.
Dan worked at Sheaffer Pen Company for 12 years and then earned his electrician license, working around Burlington and Ft. Madison on many restoration projects.
In 2000, Dan married Cyndie Campbell Schlagel, his beloved partner, continuing the evolution of a friendship that began in the 60s.
Dan was well-known as a pen collector and yearly, with Cyndie, attended pen shows around the nation, making many life-long friends in the pen collecting community and making vintage Sheaffer pens available to enthusiasts across the country. Besides pens, he also collected other Sheaffer memorabilia and White House Dairy memorabilia.
Other hobbies included acting and directing with Players’ Workshop in Burlington, having had lead roles in such plays as Deathtrap and 84 Charing Cross Road, reading, volunteering at the Sheaffer Pen Museum, and getting together with friends for brunch on Sundays to discuss the world and its condition. Dear friend and breakfast companion, Mary Krohlow passed on Dan’s birthday this year, January 28th. Dan was known to be the contrarian in these conversations — taking the opposite view just to rile the others and make the conversation more fun. He was also a member of the Fort Madison Historical Commission for many years.
Of all the things that can be said of Dan, the most obvious is that he was a good friend. He would help you take down a wall or put up a new one, tile your shower or paint your kitchen, rewire your whole house or just hang a chandelier, drive you to an appointment or just hand you his car keys. If you were lucky enough to have Dan for a friend, there was nothing he would not help you with.
Dan was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife, Cyndie, his step-daughter, Ericka (Donald) Breuer and grandchildren, William and Grace Breuer and Sophia Maiers.
Barr Memorial Chapel is honored to serve Dan’s Family, and an online guest book may be found at www.barrmemorialchapel.com.
There will be a celebration of Dan’s life at the Sheaffer Pen Museum on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m., in Fort Madison. Hope to see you there to share stories.
***Balfinate***