LaVern O. Trepp was born on December 8, 1917, in Kief, North Dakota, to Freada Huber and Clarence Martin Oliver Trepp. Trepp studied chemistry at Augustana College in Illinois. From a young age, Trepp was active in ski jumping and was a charter member of the Kiwanis Ski Club. At age 22, while attempting the first descent at the new-constructed Pine Mountain ski jump in Iron Mountain, Michigan, Trepp had an accident. While the resultant broken hip ended his jumping career, Trepp shifted to alpine skiing, competing for the Midwest Central Division in regional and national competitions.
On February 3, 1942, Trepp enlisted in the United States Army. Trepp was a member of Company A, F, K, L of the 87th Infantry Regiment, the ski troops that joined with the 85th and 86th infantry to form the 10th Mountain Division. The 10th Mountain Division was designated for mountain warfare and was the only division of its size to receive specialized training for mountain combat. With the division, Trepp trained in Colorado, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Canada. In the 10th Mountain Division, Trepp served in Company B and Company D as a medic. Trepp served in World War II in Italy, where he was awarded the Combat Medic Badge and the Bronze Star Medal for his actions at Castel D’Aiano on April 15, 1945. He obtained the rank of Sergeant.
After his discharge from the Army, Trepp returned to Iron Mountain, Michigan, and acquired the Pine Mountain Alpine Ski Facility, which had undergone a period of closure during the war. Trepp rebuilt and expanded the facility. Several years afterwards, Trepp married Gloria Fern Johnson, an skier who had frequently visited Iron Mountain. The two married and together had five children. Trepp had a long career in the ski industry, serving on the Michigan Ski Area Safety Board under four Michigan governors. He also held positions in the United States Ski Association Central Division, the Central Ski Areas Association, the National Ski Area Association, and the American National Standards Institute for aerial tramways. He also served as a board member for the National Ski Hall of Fame.
LaVern Trepp died on April 24, 2005.
The LaVern Trepp slide collection consists of 1 box containing 485 color slides and black-and-white photograph prints related to Trepp's service in the United States Army's 10th Mountain Division during World War II, his involvement in the ski industry and other outdoor sports, and images of his friends and family. The collection primarily consists of slides and dates from approximately 1942 to 1960.
Arranged by subject
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the LaVern Trepp slide collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.
Donated by Andrea White in 2013 and 2017..
Processed by Special Collections staff.
See also the LaVern Trepp audiovisual collection (A1160) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
This collection forms part of the Ski and Snow Sports Archive, which is part of the S.J. Quinney Outdoor Recreation Archive.