Richard Pappe (1860-1919) was the youngest son of Gottfried Wilhelm Pappe and Johanna Catharina Heinemann. He was born in Stotternheim, Germany and at an early age apprenticed as a baker. About 1880 Richard married Louise Kornrumpf (1861-1941) who was from the village of Gross Lengden, near Göttingen. In 1882 the couple and their 10 month old son, Robert, emigrated to America. They departed from Antwerp, Belgium and arrived in New York on April 2nd. Richard was 22 and Louise was 21.

Richard and Louise lived briefly in Tazewell, IL and then moved in July 1882 to Newton, Kansas where he operated the Empire bakery. His brother, John Hermann Pappe had lived in Newton as early as 1880. By 1885 the couple had moved to Pratt Kansas with the arrival of the railroad there and opened the City Bakery. In 1889 they filed a homestead claim in the opening of the Oklahoma Territory and settled in Kingfisher.

Richard and Louise Pappe were the parents of at least eleven children. Five of which survived to adulthood.