Friends and Neighbors: Angie Luppen

Angie Luppen recently accepted a position as a services coordinator for the Early Development Network. Training began for her at the end of October in Scottsbluff and will work with children from the age of 0 to 3 years old, through Educational Service Unit Region 13. (E.S.U.13), with the local school system.

Luppen said the program works through referrals to the Early Development Network by community members, a grandparent, a doctor or anyone concerned. A coordinator will then contact the parents, conduct an intake and discuss their concerns regarding their child or children. At that point, she, as a service coordinator, would discuss options to address the needs they may have.

"Some children are born with special needs and need extra help," Luppen said. "We talk to you about what your concerns are with the child, do an evaluation on the child and then if it's decided that the child needs our help – as a service coordinator, I would then help to set up services for the child."

Luppen will be part of the team that develops an I.F.S.P., or Individual Family Service Plan.

"We sit down with the parents and discuss what they want the goals to be. So we write the plan according to their needs," she explained. "And we meet with them once a month, but they can call us at anytime that they need help."

"It's exciting," she added regarding her new role with the E.S.U. "I hate to sound like I know a lot, I'm still learning, but a lot of it is similar to what we did at Head Start."

Prior to accepting this new position, Luppen taught children in the local Head Start program for 15 years, first as a teacher's aid and then as the teacher, with an average of 20 children in the class room each year.

"It was a hard job to leave," she said, "I really did enjoy working there and enjoyed working with the kids."

In addition to teaching, Luppen started her home-based photography business, 'Forever Friends' in 2003, through which she offers family, senior and wedding photos, as well as photos for ads. She enjoys bringing the service to the community she now calls home.

The longtime Kimball resident and small business owner along with her husband, David, met at high school cross country meets in the small town of Marysville, Kan., she was a freshman at the time, and Dave, a junior. They didn't begin dating until she graduated from Marysville High School while they attended Kansas State College.

The couple married in January of 1990, and Angie graduated college in May of 1990 with a degree in elementary education. Her husband received an electrical engineering degree. The following August, welcomed their first child, a son, Brian.

The young family moved to Kimball first in September 1991and became active with the Kimball Jaycees to help them integrate into their new community. According to Angie, it made living here in the earlier years more enjoyable. She said that the chapter was active at that time not only in Kimball, but throughout the region and across the state.

Luppen won three awards at the state level, and was honored in the organization as third place district director for Jaycees nationally. She also spent time substitute teaching for the local schools while she enjoyed spending extra time with her young son.

In March 1993, the Luppens welcomed their second child, Spencer, who was delivered by Dr. James Plate at the Kimball hospital. Their youngest child, Dalton, was born in May 1995. Following the birth of Dalton, Dave took a position in Kansas and the couple returned to be closer to family. However, in January 1998, the family returned to Kimball, where they have their home since that time.

Kimball remains home to Luppen, and her children are all nearby. Brian, a 2013 graduate of Western Nebraska Community College and 2015 graduate of Chadron State College, currently resides in Gering and works for the Office of Human Development while planning a wedding for October 2016. Spencer also resides in Gering and is employed by Mr. Tire. The couple's youngest child, Dalton is married, lives and attends WNCC in Sidney, and has two children - Barry Jr. and Sapphira. Angie gleefully states that spending time with her grandchildren is one of her favorite pastimes.

"I like the community," expressed Luppen, "I also like that my kids are close."

Just a "cute" side-note that Angie offers readers regarding her personalized license plates, URAQTPI (you are a cutie pie). A lot of folks around town are interested in how she chose this for her plates.

"I know some people around think it's because I am a photographer or something," she said. "Well actually that is how my husband used to sign his letters to me when we first dated. The first year we dated I went to a different college. This was (OK this will age me) before texting, and yes even before most people had email, and we just wrote letters. He signed every letter he wrote that way except he used the Greek symbol of pi. He said he didn't want to say I love you until he was sure it was forever. I have to say the first time he said it it meant so much more. That tag reminds me how we started 31 years ago."