Donald Leitz

Donald Dewaine Leitz was born October 30, 1928, the son of Frank and Nellie Auen Leitz. He died at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa, on Friday, January 15, 2010, at the age of eighty-one.
Don was born on a farm three miles south of Wall Lake, Iowa. He was baptized in Christ on April 17, 1930, at Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake, Iowa, by Rev. Schwidder and later confirmed there on June 17, 1945, by Rev. Herbert Berner. He received his education in a rural school south of Lake View and graduated from the Wall Lake High School. He enlisted in the United Stated Air Force in 1949. He served four years and was discharged in 1953.
On September 26, 1954, Don was united in marriage to Kathleen Schau at the Methodist Church in Charter Oak. In 1955, Don re-enlisted and received instructions to become a jet mechanic on jet fighters. He was an instructor and a crew chief. He was stationed in Air Forces bases in Arizona, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota, Illinois, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, New Mexico, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Greenland, Panama Canal, Portico and Vietnam. In 1971, Don retired from the Air Force after serving his country for twenty-two years having received a good conduct medal, Occupational Medal and Honorable Service Medal. After his retirement, he moved his family to Charter Oak, where he did some carpentry work. In the fall of 1972, Don decided to go back to school for a plumbing and heating course. He attended Western Iowa Tech in Denison and graduated in May of 1973 when he opened his own plumbing and heating business, retiring in 1992.
Don was a loving and caring father, grandfather and great-grandfather who enjoyed visits from his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed fishing and hunting rabbits, wood projects, playing cards, watching sporting events, gardening and crafts. He drove school bus for many years and was a volunteer fireman for eleven years.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Kathleen in 2001; three brothers, Kenny and two in infancy; and three sisters, Katherine, Joan and Maxine. Survivors include one son, Brent; three daughters, Denise, Jannel, and Jeanette; eleven grandchildren: Matt, Tyler, Tina, Austin, Michael, Maddison, Nathan, Buddy, Mason, Alexis and Jessica; five great-grandchildren; two brothers: Leroy, and Jim and his wife, Phyllis; one sister, Dorothy and her husband, Dave; his mother-in-law, Lulu; many other relatives and friends.