Danial Edmond Kroupa

Dan’s life began in Hillsboro, KS on February 29, 1944, as a Leap Year boy. He passed away after a brief illness on Thursday February 5, 2026. Dan was the son of Joseph and Josephine (Klenda) Kroupa. He was the second oldest of their seven children.

Dan attended Centre Rural High School and was part of the first sophomore class of the consolidated Centre High where he graduated in 1961. He also attended Wichita Drafting College after high school.

After high school, for a brief period, he drove a truck for Riddle Quarry and helped build the Marion Reservoir and Dam. During high school and after high school, he and his brothers operated the family farm. It was his mother’s wish that Dan and two of his brothers would continue the farming operation.

It was during the Vietnam period, that Dan joined the Topeka Air National Guard and then later transferred and joined the Colorado Air National Guard where he became a hydraulics specialist on many of the US Air Force inventory of planes. After his military service, he became an air technician and continued to work as a hydraulic specialist. For a period of time, he also worked in construction in Houston, TX where he remodeled medical office buildings with Toby, his younger brother.

Dan eventually relocated to Aurora/Parker, Colorado area where he raised buffalo and was quite good at it. He was well known in the are as “Dan, the Buffalo Man,” winning a grand prize in Denver’s livestock show for one of his prized buffalo. He raised many of his buffalo herds in his Parker, CO ranch for many years.

Even though Dan loved Colorado and enjoyed living near the mountains…. he eventually “saw the light” and realized how great it was to move back to “Colorful Kansas.” He purchased some property north of Wilson Lake in Russell County overlooking the beauty of Lake Wilson. He decided not to continue his buffalo business and decided instead to concentrate on the “important” things of life…like fishing, boating on Wilson Lake, jet skiing and enjoying the great outdoors. He spent time making and designing metal buffalo artwork and inventing many of the tools for his buffalo business. He was a craftsman! He designed both houses he lived in… the Colorado house and his last one near Lake Wilson.

Dan is survived by his wife Roberta (Bobbi) of Wilson Lake/Lucas, KS, and his siblings Arnie (Marilyn) Kroupa of Towanda; sister Kate Valenta of Monument, CO; Toby Kroupa of Monument, CO; Randy (Kathey) Kroupa of Austin, TX and many nieces and nephews.

Dan was preceded in death by his mother Josephine and father Joseph; his daughter Tonya Marie; his son Justin Dean; his oldest brother Alvin and younger brother Gene.

The funeral Mass will be held at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen on Saturday February 14 at 10:30 a.m. with rosary prayers prior at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions in Dan’s name may be directed to the Disabled American Veterans. Please sign his online guestbook and leave a memory of Dan at www.yazelmeglifh.com