Fritzi Sips Memorial Service

Doug Stewart

Funeral Services • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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Welcome & Prayer

On behalf of the family, I’d like to welcome you to the home-going service of Fritzi Sips.

A loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend

It is an honor for me to officiate

Fritzi was a man that knew a lot of people and was known by probably more.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone say this past week that Fritzi was not only the first person to welcome them to church, but the first face they would see any time they attended.

Fritzi had a full life and he was blessed.

And even though we will miss him greatly, I know we are all grateful for the years we have had with him.

Again, I have heard many people share that Fritzi made a life-long, lasting impact on their life.

We all know the battle he had with cancer and how hard that was on his body:

Cancer is not our friend

Cancer is part of this fallen and broken world

Cancer is not greater than King Jesus who sits on the throne of the universe

I am thankful truth like this exists and that it is available to us in our suffering and becomes an anchor during the storms of life.

A few weeks ago, I was able to spend time with Fritzi and Sue and read them Psalm 9.

It is my understanding that Fritzi re-read these verses several more times and found comfort in them.

Psalm 9 KJV 1900

1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

Psalm 9 KJV 1900

3 When mine enemies are turned back, They shall fall and perish at thy presence. 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging right. 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. 6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: 7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

Psalm 9 KJV 1900

9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Prayer

Dear God, I am so thankful that you hear the voice of the oppressed. This life is full of enemies and the greatest enemy we face is death itself, but you are good and just and you sit on the highest throne and you know those who put their trust in you. You know your children and you do not forsake them.

This life if full of brokenness. We have all seen your servant, Fritzi struggle with the enemy of cancer and now death, but you do not let our enemies prevail. You are the God of life and restoration and resurrection. You have promised to make all things new and we believe that you will. Though we mourn, we know that Fritzi is in your presence and living out the eternal life you have given him through Christ.

Special Music “It’s Still the Blood” (Bougher Sisters)

Fritzi loved Gospel music and he loved (as we all do) when the Boucher sisters sang.

At this time tSarah and Madeline will sing a favorite of Fritzi and Sue, “It’s Still the Blood”

Obituary - Blake

Fritzi Sips, 82, of Spencer, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on February 5, 2025. He was born in Owen County on May 23, 1942, to Walter and Caretta (Harlan) Sips. Fritzi remained in Owen County throughout his life, spending time cultivating the same farm he grew up on. Fritzi loved the Lord with every ounce of his heart and served him faithfully throughout his life, first as a superintendent of Pleasant Hill Community Church and later as the Head Usher of Lifeway Baptist Church in Ellettsville. He adored greeting everyone on Sunday with a firm handshake, a smile, and a personalized good morning.

In his youth, Fritzi attended Splinter Ridge School and graduated from Patricksburg High School in 1960. He worked at Rostone Corporation in Spencer and the Pork Plant in Worthington before moving to General Electric in 1987. He retired from GE after 21 years of service. Fritzi was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who relished spending time with his family. He enjoyed watching Purdue basketball and helped to start little league basketball at Patricksburg Elementary School when his oldest son was a student. He loved taking his International Harvester tractors out for a drive around the farm and watching the Yankees, although he would say they would never be as good as they were when Mickey Mantle was around.

Fritzi was preceded in death by his parents and oldest brother, Walter Jr. Sips. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sue (Keith) Sips; sons, Scottie (Kathy) Sips and Kevin (Tammy) Sips; younger brother, Gerry Sips; Grandchildren, Whitney (Daniel) Melton and Kati (Jared) Woodruff and step-grandchildren: Ben Reynolds, Cody Reynolds, Steve (Cortni) Meledy, Allison Meledy, and Joni Meledy, and seven great-grandchildren: Savannah, Kaleb, Nickolas, and Derek Melton, and Justice, Alana, and Harper Woodruff.

How Great Thou Art

Lets stand and sing verse 3 verses of How Great Thou Art

Eulogy and Tributes

It is my privilege to read several tributes from different family members.

Kati’s Tribute (Fritz’s granddaughter)

Papa Fritzi was an honest, loyal, and hardworking man. He was one of the most generous people I've ever known. He lived to serve others, and he did so with excellence. Though he was a humble man, he was extremely proud of our family. He celebrated us constantly, making a huge deal out of the smallest accomplishments. Papa reflected God's love in all he did. I'm so grateful to have had the honor of being his granddaughter. I will always cherish our time together, and I look forward to the day we meet again.

Audio Tribute by Kevin Albert

Former pastor of Lifeway Baptist Church

Whitney’s Tribute

A letter written by Whitney (another granddaughter of Fritzi and Sue).

I read a study a few years ago talking about the importance of having grandparents in your life and it rang so true to me. My grandparents lived close, and I spent as much time as Mom and Dad would allow at their houses. As a child, I rode shotgun with Grandma Sue in the hay truck each summer and as I became a teenager, I became the driver. I made some mistakes, almost knocked D off the truck a few times, and Dad definitely hollered at me from the field, but Poppa always came to my window and reminded me to take it easy, and slow down. I think everyone throwing and stacking the hay hated to hear that the hay was down and would be ready soon, but it was one of my favorite things to do in the summer. I cherished being out there with Poppa, Dad, and D.

Poppa Fritzi taught me the significance of music. Nearly every time I arrived at his house he would have a cassette with a song he had recently fallen in love with or one of his favorites. We would walk in, and he would tell me to sit beside him, near the speakers and he would rewind and fast-forward that cassette until he found the starting point of the song he wanted me to hear. We would sit together in front of the speakers and listen to the song, and sometimes Poppa would begin singing the song, too. While my music taste was a bit different, I fell in love with many of his favorites and still often find myself singing “Sixteen Candles,” “Hey Good Lookin’,” along with some of his other favorites.

One spring afternoon in 2000, I was on the porch telling Poppa Fritzi bye, you know the southern goodbyes that end up in a whole other conversation. Poppa had a knack for remembering birthdays, it was like he had a mental rolodex that he could sift through at any moment and as we were saying our goodbyes, he mentioned that my big #13 birthday was just a few weeks away. I got excited and told him that my first big birthday was a few weeks away, but then three years from now I’d be driving, and five years from now I’d be able to vote and maybe even get married. He smiled but said “Whitney, don’t be wishing your life away so fast. Enjoy the now, life goes by so incredibly fast.” My twelve-year-old self laughed internally because I wanted the last six years of my childhood to go by fast. Adulthood seemed so wildly exciting. But as an adult, I have often thought back to this conversation about how true his warning was and have found myself repeating his warning to my own children.

As I woke up on February 5th I was humming a song, “Go tell the world about me. I was dead, but now I live. I’ve got to go now for a little while. Goodbye is not the end.” I didn’t know the title of this song and I couldn’t remember anything but these few lines, but they played on repeat. I know this would’ve been what Poppa Fritzi would’ve wanted everyone to remember. He is dead here, but he lives in Heaven. We will not get to see him for a little while, but that is not the end of the story. He would want everyone to know that Jesus loves you and that you should get into a good church. He wouldn’t want us to rush the days, but to enjoy the moments. But, when your final breath comes and goes and you enter the Gates of Heaven, know that Poppa Fritzi will be holding the first door inside, ready to greet you with his big smile, firm handshake, and probably a big tight hug.

Notes Eric shared with Sue that I wanted to share

Years ago, Fritzi went with me and the boys to go to the 500 museum

Fritzi took me to an antique tractor show

Helped me emotionally and spiritually

God broke the mold when he made Fritzi

When Eric’s son got out of the service because he suffered with gout, he came home and visited Fritzi. When he got to Fritzi’s house, Fritz got on his hands and knees and massaged his feet. What a clear and obvious demonstration of the servant heart Fritizi had.

Video Message from Pastor Steve Von Bokern

Message

Fritzi was a kind and special man.

As I talked with the family, there were several words that surfaced to the top quite often (Hard-worker, Servant, Faithful, Honest)

Everyone who knew Fritzi knew he was a hard worker

I think it was his delight to mow every lawn in Owen county

Seriously, I don’t think he did anything else during the summer except mow.

When he wasn’t cutting grass, he was bailing hay

Fritzi was a hard worker…I mean really, who chops wood just for fun

I bet Fritzi has chopped more wood than the total amount of wood that the past 10 years of IU graduates chopped - combined

Fritzi was a servant

Fritzi and Sue greeted people for so many years and that has meant more to more people than we will ever realize

Fritzi was giving. I won’t share specific stories, but you know. I I know you have each been the recipient of Fritzi”s servant-heart and giving attitude.

Fritzi was faithful and honest

There are so many things that could be said here, but I want to share one that has impacted me the most.

Fritzi got here to the church early every Sunday (rain or shine). After he knew things were ready to welcome people, he would come down to the front and pray for the preaching of the word and receptive hearts.

He was praying for people to come to know Christ as their Savior.

Psalm 116:15 KJV 1900

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints.

Death is hard and we will grieve, but we grieve differently.

We grieve differently because we have a living hope that reminds us that death does not have the final word.

One of the most known and loved passages in the Bible is Psalm 23 which begins by stating “the Lord is my shepherd...”

I had the privilege to sit down with the family and share the beautiful truth of this Psalm with them the morning that Fritzi was graduated from the land of the dying to the land of the living…into the presence of the LORD.

That was a sad morning...but at the same time, it was sweet.

I’m going to personalize 2 Corinthians 5:8 for us..

2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV 1900

Fritzi was absent from the body, because he was present with the Lord.

And so we sat down and read Psalm 23...

Psalm 23 is so well known and loved because:

It doesn’t ignore the difficulties of life. It speaks openly and candidly about one of our greatest fears (and one of the greatest evils we face) - namely, death.

This Psalm is also loved because It offers legitimate hope. It’s not filled with empty promises . Yes, even in the context of death, Psalm 23 provides us with an answer and solution for our suffering.

I would like to read this short Psalm and make three short observations that I believe will encourage your heart and bring you joy.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

1. The first observation is that the Lord is a personal shepherd - “the Lord is my shepherd”

David was a shepherd himself and he understood that sheep were’t OK on their own. Sure, there were wild sheep, but they didn’t thrive and they had a dangerous life.

But when the shepherd boy David took ownership of specific sheep, he was committed to them.

He loved them

He led them to food and water

He protected them from every danger

David understood that this shepherding nature was at the core of who God is.

God’s personal (He’s not a force standing far away.)

He has sheep

And He is commited to them

John 10:14 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me,”

Like David, Fritzi understood that in Christ he had a personal shepherd that loved him, provided for him, and protected him.

Without this first truth, a day like today would bring nothing but despair - I personally believe it would be intolerable.

But because Jesus knows Fritzi, and Fritzi knows Jesus, we know that right now, Fritzi is with his Shepherd.

Knowing Christ in this way doesn’t happen accidentally. There are sheep that are not currently in His fold.

Yet, I know that many of you are - and even in the pain today brings, you have comfort because you also personally know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you personally know the Shepherd - do you know the Lord Jesus Christ personally and in a saving way?

You can … If Fritzi were here with us today, he would have already been on his knees asking for those who do not know Christ, to hear the life-giving words of God and come to faith in Christ.

2. Second, the comfort this Psalm brings is knowing that God is always present with his sheep - even through death.

One of the most well known parts of this Psalm is verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me

It makes sense that a personal shepherd would always be present with his sheep, but there’s something unique about this verse.

Something so unique that it casts out all fear and makes death powerless.

Simply stated, it is the Shepherds presence with his people that makes the difference. But why is that so important?

The imagery of this verde is so powerful.

It pictures us on a road - the road of life. A road that is getting deeper and deeper into the valley of death.

The further we get down this road of life, the greater the shadow of the valley becomes.

And there’s nothing we can do to escape this reality.

So how can the Shepherd’s presence with us cast out fear? And how does it make death powerless?

Again, John 10:14 is so helpful. It reminds us that the great shepherd of our soul is Jesus Christ.

The fact that He can be present with us at all should shock all of us (for several reasons)...

But primarily because 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers beat him nearly to death and then hung him on a cross where he brutally died.

After preparing his body for burial, they placed him in a grave where his body laid for three days.

One of the best things I can tell you today is that Jesus conquered the grave.

This is why he can be present with us today...

This is how it’s possible that he can walk with his sheep through the valley of the shadow of death.

Because He has walked this road ahead of you and provided a way through the grave to eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:3–6 KJV 1900

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

Friends, Jesus truly defeated death so that we could have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 KJV 1900

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Finally, there is eternity on the other side of the grave.

The last verse of Psalm 23:6

Psalm 23:6 KJV 1900

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

David knew that death wasn’t the end.

He knew that since God was personal and present, the grave couldn’t have the final word.

And though he walked the valley of death, he saw eternity beyond the shadow and he knew the only one who could provide this was God.

Fritzi was a good and kind man.

A man we will all miss deeply.

I can assure you that because Fritzi’s faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is more alive today than he ever has been.

For the believer, death is not the end. It is hard, but it is the gateway to everlasting joy and fullness of life.

Friends, today Fritzi is with his Savior and for him, there is no more suffering - no more dying. Just everlasting life.

But Fritzi didn’t earn this.

Psalm 23 helps us understand that we are dependent on the Shepherd - Jesus Christ for this hope.

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Everlasting life is not something we can achieve, but that we’re given.

Faith in Christ is how we receive this gift.

It means that we lay aside our own efforts and trust the Shepherd completely.

Romans 5:6–15 KJV 1900

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

One of most important things - one of the most comforting things I can tell you this morning is that Fritzi loved his Shepherd

His faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and now he is in the full presence of the Lord.

Prayer

Dear God,

Your word gives us so much hope. I pray that you would comfort this family in their time of need and suffering.

Closing Song - Beulah Land (Rebecca)

At this time Rebecca is going to sing another favorite song of Fritzi.

When the song is done, the service will be concluded.

Graveside

Committal

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 KJV 1900

Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was on the cross, one of the thieves next to him turned to him in faith. So important because

1) he couldn’t do anything to clean up his sin and

2) he couldn’t do any good works to gain God’s grace, yet he received the grace of God.

And Jesus said to him, “today, you will be with me in paradise.”

What a glorious truth! What hope that gives us! And though we are grieving, what rejoicing it gives us in the middle of our grief.

What we are doing here is two-fold:

1. We are committing Fritz’s soul to the LORD – it’s hard for us to say goodbye, so we are reminding ourselves that there’s nothing any of us can do for Fritzi – nor would we want to (he is with the Lord).

So we are here, as friends and family, entrusting his soul to the Lord and simply verbalizing what’s already true. We are here, but Fritzi is present with the Lord.

And this is helpful for us. We’re not hopelessly wondering where he is. His body is here, but Fritzi is standing with King Jesus … he is in the city of God and in the presence of God.

2. We are anticipating Jesus’ return and Fritz’s resurrection body.

When Jesus rose again, he promised to be the first among many to be brought out of the grave and given a resurrection body. Paul uses the analogy of a seed. When you put a seed in the ground, it’s not doing anything - it’s lifeless, BUT after you put it in the ground, God gives life and it stays in the ground no more.

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 KJV 1900

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Friends, we are here in anticipation of the great promise we have from God that He will raise this body again.

Death hurts, but death doesn’t have the final word.

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 KJV 1900

In just a moment I will pray and conclude this service, but I want you to know that I am thankful you have allowed me to minister to you and I am available if I can serve you in any way. We do have a meal for the family so when you are done, you can make your way over to Lifeway Baptist Church. We will begin about 4 o’clock.

Prayer

I praise you today for being the God of hope and comfort. I pray that you would bring rest to this family today. Encourage them and remind them of your mercy, love, and presence. Thank you for the hope we can have in Christ, and I pray that everyone here would come to know you in this way and simply receive your grace if they haven’t already.

Unto Your mercy Almighty God, we commit Fritzi’s soul, and we lay his body in the ground in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.

And one day when we see Fritzi again in his resurrected body we will have all the more reason to rejoice and worship your grate and glorious name. Truly you are the God of life and glory.

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