A "Celebration of Life" service will be held Monday, August 7, 2006 at James River Assembly of God, Springfield, MO. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, Springfield, MO. The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 6, 2006 from 2-4 pm at the funeral home, 4500 S. Lone Pine, Springfield, MO 65804.
Don was born on March 13, 1944 in Fairmont, MN, graduated from Granada High School; attended St. Cloud, MN Vocational School and became a professional brick layer; graduated from North Central University in Minneapolis, MN and earned his Masters Degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (Springfield, MO). He pastored churches in Litchfield and Granite Falls, MN. He served as Minnesota Youth and Christian ED Director of the Assemblies of God. For nine years he was a foreign missionary in Ghana, West Africa until he moved back to Springfield and continued to minister throughout all of Africa in the Tabernacle Evangelism program.
Don married Mary Ryswyk on June 17, 1967.
She died in July 2001.
They had two daughters; Tiffany and husband Mark and Kirsten and husband Daniel
and four grandchildren, Quentin, Evan, Greyson and Addy.
Don married Sydney Matheny on June 11, 2005.
After retiring from Foreign Missions, Don and Sydney (with others) rebuilt a
church destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Waveland, MS.
They moved to Gardner, KS to help grow a new Assembly of God Church there.
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April.
He is survived by his wife of the home; his children and their spouses, grandchildren; stepchildren and their spouses, step grandchildren; six siblings and their spouses; nieces, nephews and many, many friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, a brother and his first wife.
Don served the Lord his entire life and has now gone to be with Him. His one and only desire was that God receive all the Glory from his life. Don was much loved and appreciated and he will be deeply missed.
Memorial donations may be made to Full Life Assembly of God Building Fund, c/o Bruce Funeral Home, PO Box 192, Gardner, KS 66030.