Donald DEGEN

DEGEN, SCHILMOELLER, MCGUIRE, RIEKS, BARTOLO, VASKE, KOLLASCH, EICHENBERGER, FUCHSEN, GOFF, SCHILTZ, BRANDENBURG, LOMBARDO

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/25/2010 at 11:50:52

Algona Upper Des Moines, Iowa
February 23, 2010

January 29, 1930 — February 20, 2010

Donald Degen, 80, of Bancroft, Iowa died peacefully Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at his home. A funeral Mass will be held Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church, Bancroft. Burial with military honors will be conducted at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Bancroft. Visitation was from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home, Bancroft, with a rosary beginning at 4 p.m. and a scripture prayer service beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Donald Henry Joseph Patrick Alexander Degen, P.M., (Retired), was born on Jan. 29, 1930 in a bean field east of Eagle Grove to Henry and Elisabeth (Schilmoeller) Degen. At the age of four, following the death of his father, Don moved with his family to Granville. Growing up during the depression, Don recalled how he and his four brothers attended separate masses since they had to share one suit. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School, graduating in the top eight of his class on May 27, 1947, with 6 inches of snow on the ground. We later figured out there were only eight in his class. Don was once the high scorer of his varsity basketball team, scoring 4 points only to lose the game 4-2. Following graduation, Don farmed near Granville, where he learned the fine art of sewing from his mother when she made coveralls for the rooster that lost all his feathers during the tornado of ’48. Don was called to serve his country during the Korean conflict, receiving one war wound (AKA…his belly button) and was medically discharged after contracting rheumatic fever. After working for one year in Sioux City, Don moved to a farm east of Bancroft in 1954 when fate stepped in. Ann McGuire ran out of gas at the end of his lane and the rest is history.

Don and Ann were married at St. John Church on Oct. 27, 1956. Their first child, Colleen, arrived a year later in November 1957. Don asked the nurse at St. Ann’s Hospital to reserve a room for them next year and, just as he’d planned, Sheila arrived in 1958, Judy in 1959, Charlie in 1960, Ed in 1961, Pat in 1963, Eric in 1964, Jon in 1966, and Jenny in 1968. One of Don’s greatest achievements was being appointed Postmaster of Bancroft by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 12, 1967. He thoroughly enjoyed serving the people of his community and making many wonderful friends along the way. Don retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 1990. Don’s family was the center of his whole life and his home was often the center of activity for the entire neighborhood. All of his children and their friends over the years can recall countless funny stories (we believed all of them) and the special time we just spent together, an early morning breakfast at the Degen house – Don loved to cook for anyone and everyone, family vacations – countless friends joined us in the old station wagon on vacations, and many, many gatherings in the sun porch. Don especially loved his 35 grandchildren and his 12 great-grandchildren. Don enjoyed cooking, repairing, building, refinishing, sewing, fishing, country rides, farming, threshing, gardening, stamp collecting, coffee with his friends, and the computer – even Facebook. With his quiet confidence, sense of humor, deep faith and uncomplicated outlook on life, Don is the greatest role model a family and community could have and he is an inspiration to all those who know him.

In addition to his wife, Ann, of 53 years, Don is survived by his nine children and their spouses, Colleen and Bruce Rieks of Cedar Falls, Sheila and John Bartolo of Algona, Judy and Brian Vaske of Bancroft, Charlie and Frances Degen of Warrensburg, Mo., Ed and Julie Degen of Osan, Korea, Pat Degen of Emmetsburg, Eric and Jenny Degen of Algona, Jon and Sarah Degen of Williamsburg, and Jenny Kollasch and friend, Brad Eichenberger of Bancroft. He is also survived by his sisters, Marion Fuchsen and Florence Goff, brothers Bill (Anita) Degen and Rev. Jerome Degen, as well as sister and brothers-in-law Camilla Degen, Virginia Degen, Bill and Ann McGuire, Pat McGuire, Tom and Cheryl McGuire, Mary and Don Schiltz, Marty and Barbara McGuire, Joe and Carolyn McGuire, Ed and Jesse McGuire, and Kris Brandenburg. Don was preceded in death by his twin grandsons, Charlie and Sydney; his father and mother, Henry and Elisabeth Degen; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Charlie and Charlotte McGuire; his brothers, Len Degen and Bob Degen; his sister, Esther Lombardo; and brothers-in-law Sport Fuchsen, Jim Goff, Vince Lombardo, John McGuire and Stephen Brandenburg.