McKINLEY, Donald J. 1921-1994

MCKINLEY, MYERLY, MEMMINGER

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/20/2009 at 22:15:37

#1 of 3 items:

St. Ansgar business leader and banker passes away

Funeral services will be held today, Thursday, October 27, 1994 for Donald J. McKinley, 73, who passed away at the University of Pittsburgh Hospital, Monday, October 24 from complications related to emphysema. For the past year and a half he has been living in Johnstown, Pennsylvania where his two sons reside with their families.

Donald J. McKinley was born in Newburg Township near St. Ansgar, Iowa on February 14, 1921, the second son of Harold and Josephine Myerly McKinley. He attended school in St. Ansgar and graduated from high school in 1938. While attending Iowa State College, he was a Civil Engineering student and a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. During his college years, he undertook flight training and at the outbreak of World War II enlisted in the United States Navy. He completed basic flight training at Kansas City and received advanced fighter pilot training in both Pensacola and at the Jacksonville Navel Air Station. It was while stationed at Jacksonville that he met his future wife, Marjean Memminger.

McKinley was assigned to carrier duty as a fighter pilot in the south Pacific for the duration of the war. He participated in combat at Turk Island, the Solomon’s, Saipan, Marshall and Gilbert Islands and he became a Fighter Ace in the Mariana’s Turkey-Shoot. He was awarded three naval air medals for his services during three separate combat actions and was honored with the Navel Distinguished Flying Cross, the only man from Mitchell County to receive this honor.

Donald McKinley married Marjean Memminger in Jacksonville, Florida April 30, 1945 and they were stationed in San Diego through the end of the war against Japan. They returned to St. Ansgar at that time and he entered into business with his father, Harold, and brothers, Philip and Hal, and later Keith McKinley. He continued with the car and implement dealerships, farming interests and banking concerns until his retirement in the mid-1980s. He continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Cedar National Bank until 1993. He was past Commander of the Walter T. Enneberg American Legion Post 358, past City Council member, and a past assistant Boy Scoutmaster where he incorporated his interests in aviation with special groups.

As a member of the Fighter Ace’s Association and because of his status as a Fighter Ace, he was contacted throughout his live by autograph collectors as well as book authors. He contributed personal narratives of his combat experiences for authors, which were subsequently published. The most recent book publication is, Aces Against Japan, The American Aces Speak, by Eric Hammel, 1992, Presido Press Novato, California,

McKinley was an avid golfer and had been pleased to donate with his brothers and families land which became . . . .

[From St. Ansgar Museum Collection (unknown newspaper) Thursday, October 27, 1994]

(See pilot photo from this article on link below)

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#2:

SERVICE FOLDER INFORMATION:

IN MEMORY OF
DONALD J. MCKINLEY

BORN
February 14, 1921
St. Ansgar, Iowa

DIED
October 24 1994
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

SERVICES
October 27, 1994 2:00 pm
United Methodist Church
St. Ansgar, Iowa
Officiant - Rev. Robert Lemmermann

INTERMENT
St. Ansgar Cemetery

BEARERS
Bryan McKinley, Ian McKinley, David Dieterich, Mark McKinley, Joshua McKinley, Doug Lang

HONORARY BEARERS
W. E. Dockstader, Robert Libersky, Norman Homeyer, C. C. Brasch, L. R. Michaels, Charles Timberg

Military Honors by
Walter T. Enneberg Post No. 358
of the American Legion

Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home
St. Ansgar, Iowa
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#3:

Photo of Marjean and Don McKinley, from MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, 1989.

Click for picture of Don as fighter pilot in WW II
 

Mitchell Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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