Pinter, Donald Francis -- 1934 - 2009

PUFFER, PINTER, KRUSE, STIVERS, YOUNG, HANSON, LUSTER, KARAU, OLSON

Posted By: N. Wagner (email)
Date: 10/8/2009 at 21:45:17

Donald Pinter Sr., 75, of Fort Atkinson, Iowa, died Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Mercy Medical Center, Mason City.
Mass of Christian burial will be 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Little Turkey, with Rev. David Beckman presiding. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Little Turkey. Friends may call from 3 – 7 p.m. Thursday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, Chekal Chapel in Fort Atkinson, and also on Friday after 1 p.m. at the church.

In life Donald Francis Pinter, Sr., was born on Jan. 8, 1934, the son of Frank and Cecelia (Puffer) Pinter, of rural Fort Atkinson.
Don attended country schools in Chickasaw and Winneshiek Counties. He enlisted in the US Army and served his country from 1955-57. He has since served by being an active member of the Clarence Bily American Legion Post 467 in Spillville.
Don married Helen Kruse at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Lucas, on June 14, 1960, and together they have resided on their farm near Fort Atkinson since 1962. Besides farming, Don was employed at John Deere, Waterloo Works for 36 years. Don was an avid fisherman, hunter and life-time member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Every year Don would join his friend, Jack Sabelka frying fish for veterans at the Tomah VA Hospital.

Survivors include his wife: Helen Pinter, Fort Atkinson. Six children, Joe (Carol) Pinter, Fort Atkinson; Mary Pinter-Stivers, Nashua; Melanie (Steve) Young, West Burlington; Barbara (Denny) Pinter, Luster, Janesville, Wis.; David (Sheila) Pinter, Los Alamitos, Calif.; and Donald Stephanie) Pinter, Jr., Wilton; 18 and children, Jessica, Jennifer and Laura Hanson, Robert Jr., Jerome and Mary Stivers; David and Mariah Young, Frank and Tina Pinter, Elizabeth and Olivia Luster, Kristine, D.J., James and Nikki Pinter; Neal and Logan Pinter; two great-grandchildren, Haylee and Theresa Hanson; two sisters-in-law, Mary (Tom) Karau, Marshfield, Wis. and Anne (Dale)Olson, Anchorage, Alaska.; two brothers-in-law, Don (Karen) Kruse, St. Lucas and Jean (Glenda) Kruse, Oakdale, Calif., along with many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by his parents: Frank and Cecelia (Puffer) Pinter; brother-in-law, Jerome (Barb) Kruse and brother-in-law James Kruse; his father and mother-in-law, Neal and Melania Kruse.

New Hampton Tribune - 24 September 2009