Donald Clarence Powell 1922-2017

POWELL, BROWN, SCHMITZ, GRAESER, RIDDLE, BRANDENBURG, SCHULDT, SCHMEISER, BUCHELE, LEYVA, DAVIS, CANNON, SCHWANDT, PHILLIPS

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 10/1/2017 at 19:51:56

CEDAR FALLS — Donald Clarence Powell, 94, of Cedar Falls, formerly of Shell Rock, Waverly and Winthrop, died Sunday, June 4, at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital in Waterloo.

He was born Nov. 16, 1922, in Earlville, son of Clarence and Amy Brown Powell. He married Vivian Mae Schmitz on June 18, 1946. She preceded him in death May 23, 1990. On Sept. 1, 1990, he married Laura Graeser Riddle. She preceded him in death Nov. 10, 2005. He married Margaret Brandenburg Schuldt at Faith Lutheran Church in Shell Rock on June 10, 2006.

Don graduated from Earlville High School in 1942 and began a 40-year career with the Illinois Central Railroad, Iowa Division, as a section hand in Earlville. He advanced to an officer position as dispatcher in Waterloo and retired in 1982. He was in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in North Africa, Arno and the liberation of Rome and was redeployed as a clerk for the Army Air Corps during the liberation and post-war occupancy of Germany.

Don was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Shell Rock. He was previously a member of the Congregational Church in Winthrop and had been active in American Legion, Lions Club and Buffalo Creek Golf and Country Club, all of Winthrop.

Survived by: his wife; a son, Doug (Peg) of Ames; a daughter, Nancy (Craig) Schmeiser of Cedar Falls; five grandchildren, Andrea Buchele, Leigh Ann Cannon, Kristi (Michael) Leyva, Sara (Curt) Schroeder and Steve (Kate) Schmeiser; 11 great-grandchildren, Maia Davis, Abby, Jacob, and Jenna Buchele, Grace and Jack Cannon, Micah, Ellie, and Kate Leyva, and Samuel and Abigail Schmeiser.

Preceded in death by: his parents; two sisters, Imogene Schwandt and Mary Alice Phillips; and a brother, Curt Powell.

Celebration of life service: 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 7 at Faith Lutheran Church in Shell Rock, with burial at Fairview Cemetery, Earlville, at 2:30 p.m. Visitation for an hour before services Wednesday at the church. Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home, Shell Rock, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials: may be directed to either Faith Lutheran Church or donor's choice.

He enjoyed dancing, golfing, music and playing cards. Don's biggest joy was his time with family, especially his grandchildren.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) - Tuesday, June 6, 2017