If you started searching for somebody who thinks the late Darin Koepke was anything but a compassionate, supportive and selfless human being, odds are you’d be looking for an eternity.
Fueled by faith, family and agriculture, the former Hadar man seemingly had a positive impact on everyone he came across during his 53 years of life. Whether it involved his church, job, loved ones or farming, Koepke is remembered as somebody who put his best foot forward in everything he did.
Koepke also is remembered as a hero for the lifesaving actions he took on Oct. 21, 2021, at an Agrex grain elevator facility in Superior.
A disgruntled Agrex employee who had been terminated earlier that day left the facility, returned a short time later with a handgun and opened fire, striking three people and killing two — Koepke and Sandra Nelson.
Law enforcement investigators later revealed that Koepke was one of two individuals who rushed to barricade an office door in an attempt to prevent the shooter from entering an office space where fellow employees were meeting.
The shooter fired a shot through the office door, which struck Koepke in the left abdominal area. The gunman eventually forced himself into the office and shot an already wounded Koepke in the chest. Another individual in the office retrieved a shotgun from a closet space and fired at the gunman, helping put an end to the gunman’s attack.
Koepke was transported to the Superior hospital for treatment of his injuries before later being airlifted to a Lincoln hospital, where he was pronounced deceased that evening.
The heroism Koepke showed on Oct. 21 and the unequivocal impact he had on those he crossed paths with were the driving factors behind Koepke being named the 2021 Regional Person of the Year by the Daily News and Elkhorn Valley Bank. The two entities are co-sponsors of the recognition program that honors individuals who make Northeast Nebraska a better place to live and work.
In a letter nominating Koepke, an anonymous nominator called him “brave, selfless and heroic.”
“Tragically, two individuals — including Darin — died as a result of the incident,” the letter said. “But the loss of life might have been worse if Darin had not rushed to close a door and attempt to shield others from harm. Darin’s obituary referred to him as a hero, and I believe that’s a deserving title.”
Kelli Koepke, his wife of 33 years, spoke on his behalf.
“He would be humbled — slightly embarrassed that we’re making such a big deal out of him, because that’s just who he was,” she said of the recognition. “He didn’t ever do anything to get something; he just did it.
“My family is completely humbled, as well, and blown away. This is truly such a nice honor for him.”
A man of faith
Koepke was someone who pushed every day to move his church forward and exemplify acts of kindness — something God called him to do, Kelli Koepke said.
“He was raised in the church. He always treated others as he wanted to be treated,” she said. “He was a good, kind man, and his goal was always to point to Jesus.”
Koepke actively served in his local church, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pierce. He was an elder and was instrumental on many committees, shepherding young men and starting the first local live Nativity scene at the church.
The Rev. Jacob Tuma at St. John’s called Koepke a well-respected leader in the congregation. No project was too small or too big for Koepke to care about and help with, Tuma said.
“I worked with him a lot from the time I arrived here in 2020 and count him as a friend and mentor,” Tuma said. “He was both of those things for many people. I don’t know anyone in our congregation whose life was not touched by him in a positive way.”
Koepke helped Tuma act with encouragement and guidance during his first year as a pastor and helped the congregation as a whole as it navigated the difficulties of the pandemic, he said. Koepke also was always engaged in conversations with young people, Tuma said, and “had a way” of connecting with visitors.
St. John’s also began exhibiting a live Nativity scene in 2019, which was largely started because of the Koepkes’ vision. They took on roles as leaders, helping organize Nativity scenes and providing their own animals.
“He was vested in so many lives. There are so many young men and women who held him in high regard and still do today,” Kelli Koepke said.
Teacher, lover of ag, friend
Koepke was someone who had an answer for almost anything related to agriculture — show animals, market prices, genetics — you name it. But the beauty about his knowledge, Kelli Koepke said, was his willingness to share it with anyone who wanted to know more.
“There was never a place he wouldn’t answer a question about corn, markets, beans or anything ag related,” she said. “We’d be at one of our kids’ basketball games, and if somebody would have a question, he was all over it; that’s just who he was. I would joke that, after 5 p.m., he’s mine — no more questions.”
Koepke took joy in helping others learn, especially young people. He would willingly give someone all the tools needed to figure something out without providing the answer, Kelli Koepke said, because it gave him great pride to see others fill with joy upon figuring something out and becoming a problem solver.
“He wanted to help (kids) each develop individually. He was always about teaching,” she said. “He loved ag through and through, and you knew it whenever he talked to someone.”
Alisha Stone of Coleridge, who worked with Koepke at Agrex in Laurel for six years, said he had an inspiring determination to train and educate those around him.
“Darin was such a caring man and just a natural-born teacher,” Stone said. “He loved to take time to explain things to anyone who had a question, usually with a pen and paper or a marker and whiteboard. He was definitely a visual guy.”
Stone often joked with Koepke that he “saved” her. The year 2014 was particularly rough for Stone, she said, and she knew she needed a change in her professional life. Koepke felt that Stone could be an asset for Agrex and offered a job.
“It seemed like everything just took a turn for the better. … That one decision changed so many things for us,” she said. “It was such a gift.”
In 2019, Stone said, the Laurel grain elevator was affected by the floods. Koepke pitched right in and worked alongside everyone else in the clean-up efforts. He and Kelli showed up at the elevator on a Saturday morning, and Koepke rallied everyone with mops, shop vacs and whatever else was needed.
“He was right in the mess with everyone else — not being a boss, but being a co-worker,” Stone said.
Koepke developed bonds and cherished moments with countless employees during his 22 years at Agrex. He started as a local grain merchandiser for Agrex’s Enola plant and eventually worked his way to the divisional manager of Agrex’s western division.
He was named the interim manager of the western division in 2016 and was permanently placed in the position in 2017. David Christophore, senior vice president of Agrex, said the decision to remove the interim tag was easy for Agrex leadership.
“The transition was quick due to his desire to learn and his leadership style, which was like a quarterback on a football field,” Christophore said. “His success as a leader quickly showed itself in the financial performance of the division and the morale of the divisional team.”
Christophore, who has served as senior vice president since 2015, said Koepke was “probably the best human being I have ever met.”
“Darin was respected by his team, his colleagues and senior management for his deep knowledge of this industry, as well as his likable and genuine personality,” he said.
Eric Krotzinger, the superintendent of Agrex’s Superior office, said he knew Koepke for 12 years. Krotzinger said Koepke was a leader who helped him reach his full potential every day that the two were able to work together.
“Most people dreaded the day your boss comes to your facility to do a check and balance. I was eager for the days Darin would come,” Krotzinger said. “Darin deserves this acknowledgment and will forever be remembered as the kindest man.”
A ‘family first’ man, hero
Both Darin and Kelli grew up in the area and attended Pierce High School together. Kelli said Darin had asked her out three different times. She finally said “yes” after his third attempt “just to get him to stop asking.”
“And it was the most respectful and enjoyable date I had been on,” she said. “To sum it all up, I’m thankful for request number three.”
The Koepkes were married in 1988 and raised two kids — Kayla and Krystina — who now live in Omaha and Lincoln. Kayla is married with four children and has another on the way.
Koepke’s passion for his job, agriculture and teaching was steadfast, but he prioritized family ahead of anything else.
“He would drop everything for us, and it didn’t matter how big or small the issue,” Kelli said. “He always made sure we were OK. His family was everything to him, and he made sure we didn’t doubt that.”
Koepke’s ultimate joy was his grandkids — Naomi, Celeste, Uriah and Malachi. They live in the city, Kelli said, but he loved teaching them all things agriculture.
“The spirit of his life was Uriah and his siblings,” she said. “(Darin and Uriah) were like peas in a pod; they were inseparable. I really wish they could have had more time together.”
The commitment Koepke had to his blood family was unquestionable, but he also made sure his work family was always taken care of.
Those who worked for him, including Stone, said Koepke wouldn’t hesitate to tell employees to stay home if there were poor weather conditions or if they needed to take care of an ill family member at home.
“He always said, ‘Family first.’ ” Kelli Koepke said. “There was nobody he didn’t treat like family.”
Feeling of numbness
Numbness fell upon those who knew Koepke when they found out he had been shot. Kelli Koepke said it didn’t surprise her when she found out that Darin put his life on the line to help protect others.
“Do I wish he hadn’t jumped in front of that door? Yeah, I do, but that’s who he was — someone who protected his people. Helping others was just instinctive for him, and that’s what he did.”
The Nebraska State Patrol credited each person who helped subdue the shooter, including Koepke, with preventing more deaths. Lt. Brent Bockstadter, a Troop C investigator for the state patrol, said Koepke’s actions were nothing short of heroic.
“The actions of Mr. Koepke saved lives, and he unfortunately ended up giving his own life in the process,” Bockstadter said.
Koepke will always be remembered as a hero and, for many, his heroism extends well beyond the sacrifices he made on Oct. 21.