Donald Wilson

Donald Curtis Wilson was born the summer of 1924, on his parents farm west of Union, Iowa to Winifred and Harold Wilson. He had one sister, Betty Naomi (Roscoe) Watkins. There was a bad farm depression in Iowa the year he was born. While still an infant, his parents lost their farm and had to move to Union near his grandparents. His parents struggled to find work. As a toddler, Don remembered traveling to Florida by car as his father searched without results for a job. For a short time they even camped together in a tent as his father worked painting the train bridge west of Marshalltown near the present land fill. They lived for a few years in Eldora, Iowa where his parents got their start in the shoe business working for Sam Greenswag. Sometime after 1935, his family moved again to Grundy Center, Iowa, where they bought their own store: Wilson's Family Shoe and Men's clothing store. Don and his sister Betty worked in the store alongside their parents through high school. He finished his high school education graduating in 1942. He enjoyed playing golf, the Bassoon in the school band, and was also an active thespian. He started college at Iowa State in Ames, Iowa before being drafted into the army. His sister, Betty worked at the his hometown draft office and signed him up! As a boy, he had learned to hunt and brought home rabbits, squirrel and even snapping turtles to feed their family. In the army he was an ace marksman qualifying both right and left handed! Don served honorably in WWII with the army, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge under command of George Patton during the hard winter of 1944. His early hunting skills and a deep faith in God got him through many dangers unhurt. The prayers of his family and a copy of Psalm 91 gave him hope and strength. Lots of Hershey bars and socks from home kept his spirits up, and protected his feet from frost bite. After the war ended, he studied for awhile in England. After returning from Europe, he became a buyer for the family store and on one of his trips to Chicago in 1945, he met his future wife, Donia Kolopenuk. She was a Canadian immigrant working in Chicago as a secretary. Her roommates coaxed her to the Aragon Ballroom for a dance and the rest is history! They were engaged about 18 months later. Sadly, Don's father passed away a few months before their wedding. Don married Donia on August 17, 1947, in Chicago. They moved to his hometown in Iowa to continue in the family store, but within a couple of years at Donia's urging, he went back to school on the GI bill to follow his own dream. He would eventually study at all 3 state colleges graduating with his Master's plus 30. He called himself a perpetual student as he would continually pursue higher levels of learning in between his teaching contracts. Don taught at the high school in Marshalltown from about 1958-1970. His training in the family retail business sparked an interest in helping students who might not be college bound to pursue retail careers. He taught Distributive Education, was the DECCA coordinator, placing upper class students in a work study program with area retail businesses. He also was a Guidance counselor. His family's early moves gave him a yearning for travel and a love of camping. He said he had caught "itchy feet" from his father! Teaching gave him summers to take his family traveling. Don and Donia had three children: Sharon, Harold and David. Their summers were spent in the family station wagon traveling the North American continent! Their "summer school" was the great outdoors, traveling to every National Park, Civil War site and the whole lower 48 states, as well as Canada with even a couple of treks into Mexico! One day after all 3 kids were on their own, Don came home from work and surprised Donia by announcing, "I quit!" He wanted to be free to travel more and see Alaska. The summer of 1970, fulfilling a long time dream, they packed their car and drove all the way to Anchorage. While there, he stumbled into a job opening and so they stayed there teaching for two years in Kenai, Alaska. After they had enjoyed enough of great summer salmon and winter ice fishing, they returned to the lower 48 and milder, shorter winters in Iowa! He later worked briefly at the Montgomery Ward store on South Center Street, followed by teaching jobs at high schools in Parkersburg, Dumont, and Clarksville, Iowa. He retired at the young age of 57, never imagining that he would live past 90! He and Donia continued their travels that eventually would take them around the world. They often regaled family and friends with tales of their many adventures. For nearly 30 years they spent winters in Hawaii. As their independence began to suffer due to aging, they moved into their Embers apartment in Marshalltown and enjoyed the last few years making new friends. Donia passed away in Dec. of 2014 of a stroke and congestive heart failure. Don missed her deeply. They had celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary that year. They had a strong, affectionate, loving relationship, often holding hands even in old age! In the year following her death, Don was able to enjoy a few more adventures, traveling with family on a Canadian train trip, visiting great granddaughters in California, re-visiting old haunts in Hawaii, and even buying himself a new car! Recent emergency surgery at Mayo took it's toll on his heart and recovery was slow. A brief stay in rehab led to another hospital visit, and early morning, Friday, Feb. 19, he had a stroke, regained consciousness briefly, and then slipped into eternity. Two of his children were able to say their goodbyes in that short space of time. The day before, he had enjoyed visits from his son Dave, Pastor Beckman, and church friends. He was animated and ready to finish his rehab! One son referred to him as "Lazarus" for his amazing recoveries from several near-fatal health emergencies! But at 91 1/2 he was finally ready for that last resurrection to eternal life. He was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Winifred Wilson, his sister Betty (Roscoe) Watkins, and his wife Donia. Don is survived by his 3 children: Sharon (Chick) Stults of Washington Island, WI, sons Hal (Tashya)Wilson of Waipahu, HI, and Dave Wilson of Marshalltown. Also 6 grandchildren: Josh (Laura) and Mike Stults, Aaron Wilson, Amber (Dave) Jones, Bliss and Angelina Wilson, and 3.5 great-grand children: Caitlin, Alexis, and Danielle Stults, and unborn baby Jones. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a loving, kind, father, husband, and grandfather, as a perpetual student and teacher, a curious adventurer and a man of deep faith in Christ his Lord. He was often conscious of the needy around him, and until his recent health problems, even helped serve meals at the House of Compassion.