of Conway, AR

February 14, 1915 - November 30, 2017

Daniel Robert Dipert, Jr., local legend widely known as "Coffee Dan" and longtime resident of Damascus, Arkansas, died on Thursday, November 30th in Conway, Arkansas. He was born February 14, 1915 in Chickasha, Oklahoma to Julia Black Dagley Dipert and Daniel R. Dipert, a machinist for the Rock Island Railroad. His elderly parents sold all of their belongings and moved from Mangum, Oklahoma to De Valls Bluff, Arkansas when Dan was eleven or twelve years old. His mother inherited half of her brother Wellington's land in the town on the White River. His parents intended to retire there but the looming economic catastrophe that was the Great Depression would interrupt their rural bliss.

In October 1929 when Dan was 14 years old, the stock market crashed. Shortly thereafter, many banks, including the bank where the Dipert family kept their life savings, closed. Depositors at that time had no protection and, as with many other American families, Dan and his parents lost the money they had. The strain on the family was great and eventually led the parents to lead separate lives; Dan dying in Chickasha where he lived with his daughter, Millicent Rose and Julia in Port Angeles, Washington where she lived with her son, Frank Dagley.

As a young adolescent, Dan's choices were severely limited by the economic hardships of the time. He moved in with his half-brother, Frank, for a time but soon found that he must find his own way. He enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corp, better known as the CCC in 1933 and began his career as a cook and mechanic. By the time he left the CCC, not only had he learned to cook but he was teaching others the skill.

While stationed at the Camp in Damascus, Dan met the love of his life and on Christmas Eve of 1936 he picked his beloved Nell Brown up at the Rock Island Railroad station in Little Rock and, without stopping for as much as a sandwich, they headed for the courthouse to become man and wife. They lived in Tulsa for a time before moving back to Damascus to build and run Coffee Dan's, a must stop café and City Service Station on Hwy. 65 for over 45 years. The famous and infamous all enjoyed the food and the company Dan provided on that winding stretch of road from Dallas to Chicago.

Dan was well known not only for his plate specials and pie but for his service to the community. He taught first aid to the youngsters of the area for many years. In fact, he was the unofficial "paramedic" for the region and was honored by the U.S. Army in 1966 for saving one of its Officers when he had a heart attack while in the area. But it wasn't only his medical skills he shared. Well into his 90's, Coffee Dan was honored for providing meals for homebound seniors. He and Nell were also members of First Baptist Church of Damascus all their married lives. He also traveled the world for his son's business, Dan Dipert Tours as a tour director for many years.

Dan is preceded in death by his wife, Nell Brown Dipert. He is survived by his children, Dan Dipert of Arlington, Texas and his wife, Linda, and Jean Dipert Hall of Damascus and her husband, Jerry; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great grandchildren. Services will be conducted 1:00 p.m. Sunday, December 3rd at the First Baptist Church, Damascus, Arkansas preceded by a private burial. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials are directed to www.operationhomefront.org.

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