Submitted by: Dan Rich

South Bend Tribune 10/3/1996

Staff Sgt. David Erp, USMC (Ret.)

April 20, 1938 - Oct. 1, 1996

SOUTH BEND - Staff Sergeant David Erp, USMC (Ret.), 58, of 234 N. Hawthorne Drive, died Tuesday at approximately 5 p.m., after a year-long illness.

He was an employee for the City of South Bend for 20 years. He was also a Vietnam veteran for 20 years for the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a POW, and received the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star, among others.

Dave was also a member of the Fraternal Order Police Lodge 36, Moose Lodge 58 and the American Legion.

He was born on April 20, 1938 in South Bend, where he lived most of his life.

On April 9, 1983, he married Nancy A. Johnson, who survives along with three sons, Michael and David Erp, and Anthony Johnson, all of South Bend; six daughters, Veronica Trice and Bernadette Duboise, both of Oklahoma, and Theresa and Marina Erp, Bridget Kwiatkowski and Barbara Mendenhall, all of South Bend; 25 grandchildren; four brothers, George of Florida, Joseph of Seymour, Ind., James of Rochester, Ind. and Paul Sr. of South Bend; six sisters, Betty Kline of Florida, Mary Stewart of Alabama, Pinky Grams of Massachusetts, Geraldine Hossom of Muncie, Ind., and Jenny M. Glon and Rosie Braunsdorf of South Bend.

Friends may call from 3 to 9 p.m., today, at McGann Funeral Home, University Area Chapel, 2313 E. Edison Rd., South Bend. Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, in McGann's University Area Chapel, with Rev. L. Odene Wampler officiating. Cremation will take place, with private interment following at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger.

Donations may be made to the family to help with final expenses.