Treppler, Irene E. (nee Hagemann) October 21, 2012. Beloved wife for 62 years of Walter J. Treppler; dear mother of John M. (Jane); Steven A. (Carol); Diane V. Anderson; Walter W. (Alana); dear grandmother of Christopher and Stephanie Treppler; Lauren and Rachel Treppler; David and James Anderson; step-grandmother to Lauretta Morgan; dear sister of the late Thelma Loehr (Erwin) and the late Walter Hagemann (Pearl); dear sister-in-law; aunt; great aunt; cousin and friend.

Irene was a life-long member of St. Johns Evangelical United Church of Christ, Mehlville and served on the Church Council, 1998 - 2000, the last two years as president, also 2004-2006. She served six terms in the Missouri House of Representatives; in 1984 when elected to the Missouri Senate, she was the first Republican woman to serve in the upper chamber. She retired in 1996, after twenty-four years of service to the State of Missouri.

Services: Visitation at Kutis South County Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd. Thursday, October 25, 3-9:00 PM. Funeral service will be held at St. Johns Evangelical United Church of Christ, 11333 St. Johns Church Road on Friday, October 26 at 10 AM. Interment St. Johns Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Church or St. Anthony's Hospice Program, 10010 Kennerly Rd. Suite 150, St. Louis, MO 63128-9923.

Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25, 2012.

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Irene Treppler, the first Republican woman elected to the Missouri Senate and author of the "potty parity" law for stadiums, died Sunday (Oct. 21, 2012) of complications from dementia at her home in south St. Louis County. She was 86.

Mrs. Treppler grew up on a farm in South County, near Butler Hill Road and Highway 21, and served in the Missouri Legislature for 24 years. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 and to the Senate in 1984. She retired in 1996.

She was one of 12 women in the House when elected to that 163-district chamber, and one of only two women in the Senate when she took one of its 34 seats. Today, six state senators are women.

She was conservative in her politics and proud of a photograph taken of her seated with President Ronald Reagan in the White House. She used it in campaign mailings, and the framed original remains in the living room of the home she and her husband, Walter, bought shortly after they were married 62 years ago.

"Potty parity" may be her most famous achievement, but Mrs. Treppler also led changes in law to make schools and other public buildings safer from earthquakes and won passage of a "good Samaritan" law protecting doctors who provide emergency aid at accident scenes.

The parity law showed her mettle. When she first proposed requiring more toilet facilities for women at stadiums and other large public venues in 1991, it was an object of quips and jokes in Jefferson City. Her law, enacted in 1995, requires the same number of toilets for women as there are toilets and urinals for men.

"There were a lot of people making fun," said Franc Flotron, a Republican former senate colleague from Chesterfield. "She took it in stride, with humor and seriousness. She didn't quit because she knew it was an issue of dignity. She knew there wasn't any good reason for women to wait 45 minutes in a bathroom line."

After her colleagues finally voted for the bill, Mrs. Treppler said, "They'll kid me and talk about potty parity. But then they say, 'Yeah, I get tired of waiting for my wife.'"

Irene Hagemann graduated from Mehlville High School and was working downtown when she met Walter Treppler of St. Louis. They were married in 1950.

The Trepplers were active in the PTA at the old Washington Elementary School on Butler Hill Road, which she and three of their four children attended. Walter Treppler was elected Concord Township Republican committeeman when his wife first was elected to the House.

Mrs. Treppler ran for Senate in 1984, challenging incumbent Sen. Jim Murphy, D-St. Louis, who now is city sheriff. She won by 803 votes in a district that had been made more county-friendly after the 1980 census.

Anita Yeckel, who succeeded her in the Senate in 1997, said Mrs. Treppler was instrumental in Yeckel's election. "She took me knocking on doors, and it seemed she knew everyone we met. She was a strong woman, feminine but strong."

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Treppler is survived by three sons, John Treppler and Steven Treppler, both of South County, and Walter W. Treppler of St. Peters; a daughter, Diane Anderson of West County; and seven grandchildren.

Treppler, Irene E. (nee Hagemann) October 21, 2012. Beloved wife for 62 years of Walter J. Treppler; dear mother of John M. (Jane); Steven A. (Carol); Diane V. Anderson; Walter W. (Alana); dear grandmother of Christopher and Stephanie Treppler; Lauren and Rachel Treppler; David and James Anderson; step-grandmother to Lauretta Morgan; dear sister of the late Thelma Loehr (Erwin) and the late Walter Hagemann (Pearl); dear sister-in-law; aunt; great aunt; cousin and friend.

Irene was a life-long member of St. Johns Evangelical United Church of Christ, Mehlville and served on the Church Council, 1998 - 2000, the last two years as president, also 2004-2006. She served six terms in the Missouri House of Representatives; in 1984 when elected to the Missouri Senate, she was the first Republican woman to serve in the upper chamber. She retired in 1996, after twenty-four years of service to the State of Missouri.

Services: Visitation at Kutis South County Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Rd. Thursday, October 25, 3-9:00 PM. Funeral service will be held at St. Johns Evangelical United Church of Christ, 11333 St. Johns Church Road on Friday, October 26 at 10 AM. Interment St. Johns Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Church or St. Anthony's Hospice Program, 10010 Kennerly Rd. Suite 150, St. Louis, MO 63128-9923.

Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25, 2012.

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Irene Treppler, the first Republican woman elected to the Missouri Senate and author of the "potty parity" law for stadiums, died Sunday (Oct. 21, 2012) of complications from dementia at her home in south St. Louis County. She was 86.

Mrs. Treppler grew up on a farm in South County, near Butler Hill Road and Highway 21, and served in the Missouri Legislature for 24 years. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 and to the Senate in 1984. She retired in 1996.

She was one of 12 women in the House when elected to that 163-district chamber, and one of only two women in the Senate when she took one of its 34 seats. Today, six state senators are women.

She was conservative in her politics and proud of a photograph taken of her seated with President Ronald Reagan in the White House. She used it in campaign mailings, and the framed original remains in the living room of the home she and her husband, Walter, bought shortly after they were married 62 years ago.

"Potty parity" may be her most famous achievement, but Mrs. Treppler also led changes in law to make schools and other public buildings safer from earthquakes and won passage of a "good Samaritan" law protecting doctors who provide emergency aid at accident scenes.

The parity law showed her mettle. When she first proposed requiring more toilet facilities for women at stadiums and other large public venues in 1991, it was an object of quips and jokes in Jefferson City. Her law, enacted in 1995, requires the same number of toilets for women as there are toilets and urinals for men.

"There were a lot of people making fun," said Franc Flotron, a Republican former senate colleague from Chesterfield. "She took it in stride, with humor and seriousness. She didn't quit because she knew it was an issue of dignity. She knew there wasn't any good reason for women to wait 45 minutes in a bathroom line."

After her colleagues finally voted for the bill, Mrs. Treppler said, "They'll kid me and talk about potty parity. But then they say, 'Yeah, I get tired of waiting for my wife.'"

Irene Hagemann graduated from Mehlville High School and was working downtown when she met Walter Treppler of St. Louis. They were married in 1950.

The Trepplers were active in the PTA at the old Washington Elementary School on Butler Hill Road, which she and three of their four children attended. Walter Treppler was elected Concord Township Republican committeeman when his wife first was elected to the House.

Mrs. Treppler ran for Senate in 1984, challenging incumbent Sen. Jim Murphy, D-St. Louis, who now is city sheriff. She won by 803 votes in a district that had been made more county-friendly after the 1980 census.

Anita Yeckel, who succeeded her in the Senate in 1997, said Mrs. Treppler was instrumental in Yeckel's election. "She took me knocking on doors, and it seemed she knew everyone we met. She was a strong woman, feminine but strong."

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Treppler is survived by three sons, John Treppler and Steven Treppler, both of South County, and Walter W. Treppler of St. Peters; a daughter, Diane Anderson of West County; and seven grandchildren.