Donald Duane Friese, "Doc", age 81, of Rose City, died peacefully, Sunday, May 20, 2012, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 26, 2012, at Faith Lutheran Church in Miltona with Rev. James Brown officiating. Music will be provided by organist, Kim Byrne and vocalists, John Chandler and Andrew Clopton. Burial will take place at Spruce Hill Cemetery, Spruce Hill Township.
The visitation will be 5-8 p.m., Friday at Lind Family Funeral Home in Miltona and continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Donald was born March 27, 1931, to Albert and Genevieve (Quam) Friese in Wanamingo, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneola Township, Goodhue County. Don attended Wanamingo High School. Following his education he worked on the family dairy farm. He was united in marriage to Jacqueline Carol Redalen on February 27, 1954, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lanesboro, Minnesota. He continued farming in Wanamingo until moving to Princeton where he raised turkeys. Don and Jackie lived in several towns in south-eastern Minnesota where he worked various trades such as trucking, construction, turkey hatchery, sheep shearing, and fur trapping. In 1967, he attended Otto Schnering College in Cary, Illinois for Herdsman Training. He was recruited as the Oklahoma State Coordinator for Curtiss Breeding Service, Inc. and moved to Guthrie, Oklahoma. While there Don was instrumental to the introduction of exotic beef breeds in cattle through artificial insemination and also developed a Herdsman School, teaching and training cattle breeding to young farmers and ranchers. Don and Jackie were active members of the community and Zion Lutheran Church. They gained many life-long friendships during their five year residence. In May of 1972, they returned to Minnesota and settled in the Rose City area, where he focused again on dairy farming. Don and Jackie also owned and operated Eagle Lanes Bowling Alley in Eagle Bend for three years. He continued farming into retirement. In retirement he enjoyed maintenance of his prized farm site, grounds keeping at the Alexandria Golf Club and Spruce Hill Cemetery, woodworking and traveling with Jackie to visit family. He enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting, trapping, fishing, gardening and bird watching. He especially cherished spending time with his grandchildren and will long be remembered for his storytelling. Don was a member of Rose City Evangelical Free Church, a board member of Burleene (Todd County) and Spruce Hill (Douglas County) Townships. Don was also a board member of the Rose City Threshing Festival, Spruce Hill Cemetery and Douglas County Historical Society.
Don is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Jackie; five sons, Michael (Betty) of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Stuart (Roxie) of Frazee, Jeffrey (Kammie) of Flanders, New Jersey, Brian of Eagle Bend and Gregory (Elise) of Guthrie, Oklahoma; two daughters, Michelle (Scott) Pribula of Plymouth and Susan (Charles) Weddle of Yorktown, Virginia; three brothers, Russell (Catherine) of Rochester, Garvin of Wanamingo and Roger (Shirley) of Kilkenny; four sisters, Lorraine Munson of Hayfield, Lou Belle (Norbert) Sieben of Cannon Falls, Avis Ordalen of Albert Lea and Shirley Strand of Erskine; 16 grandchildren, Stacy, Kyle, Shane, Micah, Melissa, Nicholas, Erica, Luke, Noah, Haylee, Rachel, Jonathan, Aaron, Ava, Jacob and Jonah; seven great-grandchildren, Blake, Evan, Braylon, Dylan, Alivia, Lillian and Nathan along with many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother, Gerald and infant granddaughter, Leah Pribula.
Pallbearers will be his sons and sons-in-law. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.