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Frances Darlene (Backhaus) Jepsen, 81, died Monday, July 14, 2014, in Broken Bow at her home in Heritage Hall, surrounded by family and loved ones.

A memorial service will be 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 4, at the Holiday Inn Express, 1700 East Valley Rd., Torrington, Wyo. Interment will follow in Valley View Cemetery in Torrington.

Frances Darlene Backhaus was born April 17, 1933, to Henry and Iona (McElhaney) Backhaus in Torrington, Wyo. She attended grade school and graduated from Torrington High School. She married Burton Eugene Jepsen on Nov. 22, 1953, in Torrington.

They later moved to Chappell where she worked in the Chappell Public Schools cafeteria.

In 1986, the couple returned to Torrington. She lived there until 2005 when she moved to Sargent.

She loved her family, daily devotions, butterflies, watching the birds and putting together puzzles.

She is survived by three sons: Robert and Malinda Jepsen of Blair, Richard Jepsen of North Platte and Ronald and Terry Jepsen of Sargent; seven grandchildren: Aaron and Muriel Jepsen of Omaha, Christopher Jepsen of York, Lynn and Misty Jepsen of Ogallala, Michael and Angie Jepsen of Loup City, Brandon and LeeAnn Jepsen of Broken Bow, Kimberly and Jeremy Howard of Hastings and Jason Jepsen of Chappell; 13 great-grandchildren; brother and sisters-in-law Jane Backhaus, James O’Brien and Evelyn Jepson.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and siblings and their spouses: Evelyn and Sidney Rhoades, Margaret and Charles Wells, Jack and Laverne Backhaus, Fred and Betty Backhaus and by in-laws: Betty Mae O’Brien and Donald Lee Jepson.

Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial designation at a later date.

Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~