1941-2026
Paul Pieper, 84, of Stuart passed away on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Visitation was held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 22 at the All Saints Catholic Church in Stuart. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23 at the All Saints Catholic Church in Stuart. Luncheon will immediately follow the Mass. Private family burial will be held in the Calvary Cemetery in Stuart. Memorial contributions will be divided equally between the Stuart Public Library, the Stuart EMT, the Stuart Fire Department, and Stuart Police Department Community Programs. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Paul Frederick Pieper was born on Oct. 22, 1941, to Marvin and Alene Pieper in Stuart. He attended the Guthrie County one-room schoolhouse and St. Mary’s Catholic School in Stuart, and graduated from Stuart High School in 1959. He later graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in engineering.
Paul began his career in Des Moines building grain bins before returning to the Stuart area. Paul purchased his first farm and began the work he loved most.
The best decision Paul ever made was marrying Sharon Van Der Sluis. They married young and began a wonderful life adventure together that led to a remarkable 63-year marriage. Together, they farmed full-time and raised four boys, building a family that grew to include 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Paul loved the land and built a seed-selling business. He enjoyed tilling the soil, working with fellow farmers, and being surrounded by wildlife. Paul also raised a lot of livestock over his farming career: stock cows, bred heifers, feeder cattle, lots of farrow to finish hogs, a few milk cows and even a horse or two. As he grew older, the wildlife became his pets — feeding deer in the front yard and raising different varieties of fish in his pond. They also loved sitting on the front patio of their beautiful farm, feeding birds and hummingbirds, and simply enjoying the view.
Paul loved to fish, especially at Lake Okoboji, but it was less about what he caught and more about being in nature, surrounded by friends and family. The fishing guides always said that he was a week too late or a week too early. However, we always managed to catch a few fish and create some great memories. That’s where he was happiest — together, sharing stories, laughter and time.
Mo and Gonzo were his two favorite dogs, Paul would make special trips just to get his furry friends French fries or salted nut rolls. Paul was proud of his community and served on the school board and the care center committee, and re-activated the Penn Stuart Pioneers 4H chapter. A lot of Guthrie County Fairs followed afterwards.
Paul enjoyed playing cards at the 5×80 Country Club and dominoes with his grandchildren. He appreciated the small joys of life — especially fruit and ice cream.
Paul was a mentor to young farmers and a trusted listening ear for friends and family. He took pride in hearing others’ ideas and was always a shoulder for anyone who needed to talk things through.
One of his great joys was his pickup trucks. He truly loved his trucks — and some of you may not know this, but Paul was colorblind, so he relied on Sharon to help pick out the color and then tell him what it actually looked like.
After retiring from farming around 2006, Paul discovered a new passion: woodworking. In his shop, he created special projects for family and friends — each one made with care and pride. Paul was also a regular at coffee in Stuart, where he loved swapping stories with friends around the table.
He always had a sense of humor and loved to play practical jokes on friends and family. Laughter was a big part of who he was.
Paul and Sharon also enjoyed spending 14 winters in Texas, where they formed many lifelong friendships.
Paul showed us what a good life looks like: love your family, care for the land, serve your community, and always make time for others. His legacy lives on in the farm he cherished, the projects he built with his hands, the lessons he shared and the family he loved so deeply. We will miss his stories, his laughter and his steady presence — but we are forever grateful for the life he lived and the example he left us.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin and Alene Pieper; father and mother-in-law, Ray and Mary Van Der Sluis; sister, Kathy, and brother-in-law, Gene Fitzgerald; brother-in-law, Bill Wagner; and sister-in-law, Jan Reeser.
Paul is survived by his wife, Sharon, of nearly 63 years, and their four children: son, Kevin, and Valerie Pieper and their children, Kadie Schuler and Jeremy Owings, and their children, Dalton (Diana), Clayton, and Alicyn Vogel (Stephanie); Lucas and Caitlyn Pieper and their sons, Griffin and Lachlan; Jeremy and Stephanie Wells; Josh and Rachael Wells and their sons, James and Flynn; Lauren and Brant Bonnesen and their children, Aurora, Harper and Briar; Lindsay Pieper; Jessica and Matthew Moss and their children, Martin and Amelia; son, Brian, and Candace Pieper and their children, Sunny and Chris Brown, and their children, Violet, Ivy and Sage; Beau Pieper and (Mary), Izzy Pieper and (Zac); son, Darin, and Carole Pieper and their children, Betsy and Jesse Pieper-Ledbetter, Jake and Ashley Conner and their children. Rhiley, Daisy and Laehn; son, Ben, and Kim Pieper and their children. Olivia and Lincoln. Paul is also survived by his siblings, Annette and Embree Edgington; Lori and Jerry Southmayd; Leo and Jeri Pieper; Marty and Sandy Pieper; and David and Diana Pieper; brother-in-law, Verle, and Shari Van Der Sluis along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends. Friends meant the world to Paul, and he is survived by many.