Donald "Don" Spence

Donald “Don” David Spence, 84, of Haverhill, Iowa, passed away on the morning of Thursday, September 13, 2018, in the comfort of his own home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 22 at the Immaculate Conception Oratory in Haverhill with Fr. Alan Dietzenbach officiating. Don will be laid to rest in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery. A public visitation will be held one hour prior to services. Following services, there will be a luncheon at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Marshalltown. Donald Spence was born on November 24, 1933, in Marshalltown to Robert and Mary Etta (Merritt) Spence. Don was raised on the family farm and educated in the Laurel School District, where he graduated in 1952. In 1953, he enlisted in the United States Army before his draft date for the Korean War. He was in the 1903 Engineer Aviation Battalion. Don was stationed at the K13 Airbase for 11 months where he built airplane runways. After serving his country for two years, he was honorably discharged with a ranking of Specialist Third Class. On May 10, 1958, Don was united in marriage to the love of his life, Ellen Lemker, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Haverhill. They had three sons, Brian, Mark and Greg. Don was employed at the Haverhill Cooperative Grain Elevator for 25 years.  Don’s commitment to community service included being a proud member of the Knights of Columbus and volunteer at the local fire department. He was a faithful member of St. Henry’s Catholic Church. He had a passion for bowling with his wife, Ellen, working on cars, shooting pool and spending time gardening. Left to cherish his memory are his two sons, Brian Spence of Haverhill and Greg Spence of Hills; daughter-in-law Marilyn Spence of Marshalltown; grandchildren Andy (Courtney) Spence of Mt. Pleasant, Amber (Rovshan) Sultanov of The Colony, Texas, and Trisha Spence of Denton, Texas; great-grandchildren Charlotte and Cooper Spence and Farid Sultanov. In death, Don rejoined his wife, Ellen; son, Mark; parents, Robert and Mary Etta; four brothers and two sisters, as well as nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be directed in Don’s name to his family. For more information or to send a condolence, please visit the Mitchell Family Funeral Home website www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.