Donald Earl MORTENSEN

MORTENSEN, MENDENHALL, AYRES, TAYLOR, YOST, FANCHER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/13/2010 at 12:38:50

AKRON, Iowa -- Donald E. "Don" Mortensen, 64, of Akron passed away unexpectedly Monday, March 13, 2006, at a Sioux City hospital. Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Wesley United Methodist Church in Akron, with the Rev. Laurice Streyffeler officiating. Burial will be in Plymouth Presbyterian Church Cemetery, rural Le Mars, Iowa. There will be a time of luncheon and fellowship to follow at Plymouth Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be after 3 p.m. today, with the family present after 6 p.m., an Order of the Eastern Star service conducted by the Vesper Chapter at 7 p.m. followed by a Masonic service conducted by the Freedom Masonic Lodge 434 A.F. & A.M., all at Carlsen Funeral Home-Schroeder Chapel in Akron. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service Friday at Wesley United Methodist Church.

Donald Earl Mortensen was born Jan. 9, 1942, in Carroll, Iowa, the eldest of three sons born to the union of Earl and Mildred (Mendenhall) Mortensen. He was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith. He attended country school near Audubon, Iowa, and later graduated from Audubon High School. He attended college at Simpson College and later at Northwest Missouri State, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in music education. He was united in marriage to M. Sue Ayres on Jan. 21, 1962. Following college, he was a band director in Rock port, Mo. and later in Klemme, Iowa . While living in Klemme, he began his graduate work at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. In 1971, they moved to Akron, where he was the instrumental music instructor at Akron-Westfield High School for more than 20 years, retiring in 1991.

He was united in marriage to Karen Taylor on June 7, 1986. Since his teenage years, his passion and hobby in life was photography. Following his retirement from teaching, he made photography his full-time job. He along with his wife, Karen, owned and operated Taylor-Mortensen Studio in Akron -- something he was actively involved with up until his passing. He was also actively involved in the community of Akron. He was a charter member and past president of the Akron Lion's Club, he was a longtime member of the Freedom Masonic Lodge 434 A.F. & A.M., where he was a past Master. He also was a longtime member of the Order of the Eastern Star Vesper Chapter 70 and was currently serving as Worthy Patron. He was a former member of the Scottish Rite Bodies and the Abu Bekr Shrine Temple, where he served as the director of the brass band for several years. He was a member of the Northwest Iowa Professional Photographers, Professional Photographers of Iowa and Professional Photographers of America.

He enjoyed his involvement with the Akron Community Theatre, whether he was acting or attending the productions. He was a member of the Plymouth Presbyterian Church in rural Le Mars, Iowa, where he had served as an elder. But most of all, he loved his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Karen of Akron; three children and their spouses, Mike and Lynn Mortensen of Vermillion, S.D., Shelley and Chad Yost of Lakeville, Minn., and Marc and JoAnn Mortensen of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two brothers, Duane Mortensen and his wife, Mardelle of Altoona, Iowa, and Dennis Mortensen and his partner, Jeff Fancher of Sioux City; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Mildred Mortensen in 2005; and a nephew, Corrie Mortensen.

Pallbearers will be Zachary Mortensen, Colin Collmann, Steve Rowe, Stefan Sandberg, Clark Davidson and Rodney Matz. Honorary pallbearers will be Jeff Fancher, Jose Arreola, Jim Henrich, John Ziniel and Chase Anderton.

Sioux City Journal- Iowa
March 16, 2006