Donald Goodman

Donald Goodman, age 81, of rural Marshalltown, passed away in the peace of his home with family at his side and in care of the Iowa River Hospice on the evening of Sunday, August 26th.           A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 30th, at the Immaculate Conception Oratory in Haverhill with Fr. Don Czapla officiating. He will be laid to rest in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery with full military honors by combined posts of the Marshalltown American Legion and VFW. Visitation will be held from 4-7:00 p.m. Wednesday at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Marshalltown with a 7:00 p.m. vigil service to follow. Memorials may be directed to the Iowa River Hospice or Lewy Bodies Dementia Association. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com . The Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Donald and his family. Ph. 641-844-1234.           Born on April 20th, 1937, at home in Jefferson Township, Marshall County, he was the son of Clarence and Iva (Dodd) Goodman. He received his education at St. Josephs School in Haverhill and graduated from Van Cleve High School in 1955. Soon after, he served our country honorably in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958.           On June 18th, 1960, he was united in marriage to Alice Specht at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marshalltown. They resided on the family farm in Haverhill where he farmed and fed fat cattle.  They later moved south of Marshalltown, where he eventually retired.           Don was a member of the Tama Livestock Board, Marshalltown Area Catholic School Board (MACS), Knights of Columbus 4th Degree, Farm Credit Board, Lincoln Valley Golf Association,  a lifetime member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church prior to moving membership to St. Henry’s.  Don solved many of the local farming and Iowa State athletic issues with the morning coffee group at Cecil’s. He devoted his life to faith and family. His passion was farming; he loved buying, feeding and selling cattle, attending his children’s, grandchildren’s, and great grandchildren’s sporting events, playing golf, wintering in Texas, and spoiling his grand and great grandchildren.  His family was the light of his life.           Left to cherish his memory are Alice, his loving wife of 58 years; his children-Chris (Laurie) Goodman of Champlin, MN, Kevin (Dana) Goodman of Haverhill, Gary (Jacque) Goodman of Marshalltown, Sue  Goodman (Brian Kadner) of State Center and Deanna Goodman (Michael O’Sullivan) of Ft. Collins, CO. Also surviving are 16 grandchildren- Sydney, Sam, Christian (Cassidy), Brennan, Quinn, Elizabeth, Ashley (Andrew), Grant, Alex, Emma, Serena, Molly (fiancé Wade), Claire, Marcus, Jena (fiancé Aaron) and Kieran; four great-grandchildren-Laken, Jozhias, Carter, Aiden, and one on the way; sisters- Janet (Bob) Valastak of Boulder, CO and Sue (Marc) Wyman of Greenwood Village, CO., as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.           In death, Don rejoined his parents, Clarence and Iva, brother Ronald, step-mother Helen Goodman and step-sister Angela Frye.