Obituary of Donald Owen
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Life Legacy
West Liberty, Iowa
Donald F. Owen, 88, passed away Friday, May 5, 2017 at Simpson Memorial Home in West Liberty.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 10 at 10 am, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, West Liberty, Iowa. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm, Tuesday, May 9 at the Parish Life Center, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, located at the corner of 7th and Clay Streets in West Liberty. A Christian service will be at 7:00 pm on May 9, 2017. Burial with military rites, will be at the North Prairie Cemetery, rural West Liberty, Iowa. Condolences may be made to the family at http://www.hendersonbarkerfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages that memorials be made to Alzheimer's Research, Simpson Memorial Home or to a charity of your choice in Memory of Don Owen.
Don was born at home on February 22, 1929 in rural Cedar County, the third son of Raymond and Alice (Rose) Owen. Don graduated in 1947 from West Liberty High School and was an Army veteran of the Korean War. On April 28, 1956 he married Justine Witte in St. Paul, Iowa.
He was a farmer in Cedar County all of his life. Married for 61 years, he lived in the same house since 1945, located on the Cedar Muscatine County line. Don was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, American Legion Mansell L. Phillips Post 509, West Liberty, the West Liberty Lions Club, and bowled with the Dotson Spots for more than 50 years.
Those surviving Don include his wife, Justine, two sons and two daughters and their families. Children: Janet (Martin) Stimson, Center Point, Iowa; Bob (Geri) Owen, Jeff Owen, Karen (Kevin) Schemmel all of West Liberty. Grandchildren include: Michael Owen, Colombia, South America; Matthew Owen and his fiancé Hannah Nelsen, Omaha, Nebraska; Alyssa and Nathan Schemmel of West Liberty, and his faithful dog, Bullet. Also surviving are his sister-in-law Barbara Owen, West Liberty and nieces, Phyllis Owen Sterba, Diane Maynard, and Annette Wehrle. Don was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Richard and Jerry.
Don loved his family and enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s events, the Muscatine County Fair, and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes, Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears, but most of all socializing and telling a few stories. People meant a lot to Don. He enjoyed life.
The family greatly appreciated all the care Don received from the Simpson Memorial Home staff, and Iowa City Hospice staff, during the past two months.