Reilly, Don 1923-2002

REILLY, SARGISSON, STAAB, SCHULZ

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/25/2009 at 17:13:31

LE MARS, Iowa -- Donald James Reilly, 79, of Le Mars, former longtime Merrill, Iowa area farmer and cattleman, died unexpectedly Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002, in Tucson, Ariz.

Services will be noon Saturday at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Merrill, with the Revs. Robert J. Waters and Timothy Hogan officiating. Burial will be in Our Lady of Assumption Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the American Legion Olson-Halweg Post 125. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today, with a Scriptural wake service at 7 p.m., at Feuerstein Funeral Home in Le Mars.

Don was born Feb. 16, 1923, in Sioux City, the son of Charles and Edith (Sargisson) Reilly. He was raised in the Merrill area and graduated from Merrill High School. He entered the U.S. Army on May 23, 1944. First Lieutenant Reilly served overseas with the 8th Air Force during World War II. He was a pilot with the 613th Squadrons crew. He flew 35 missions with aboard a B-17 bomber, nicknamed "Betty J" between Nov. 21, 1944 to March 7, 1945. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 29, 1945.

He married Doris Staab on Oct. 2, 1946, in Remsen, Iowa. The couple made their home in the Merrill area, where he farmed and raised cattle for many years. He married Shirley Schulz on Jan. 30, 1982.

He was a member of Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus Trinity Council 1466 in Le Mars, American Legion Olson-Halweg Post 125 in Merrill, and Plymouth County Cattleman's Association, where he was a former president. He also was a longtime 4-H Club leader.

Survivors include two sons, Michael Reilly and his wife, Jacquelyn, of Wheaton, Ill., and Charles Reilly of Broomfield, Colo.; and a granddaughter, Shannon Reilly of San Antonio, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Thomas Reilly.

Memorials may be directed to the American Heart Association.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal--part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection