Donald Stachour age 98 of Sibley, IA died Friday, February 13, 2015 Country View Manor is Sibley.
Funeral service will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church in Sibley, with Rev. Terry Simm officiating.
Visitation will be Thursday, February 19th from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Sibley.
Donald Stachour was born on May 14, 1916 at Stout, Iowa. He was the fifth child of C.D. (Claus) & Elizabeth (Harberts) Stachour. In 1918 he moved with his parents to Grundy Center, Iowa. He started school in Kindergarten & completed 5th grade in Grundy Center. His family moved to Rutland, S.D. for 1 year before moving to Sibley, Iowa in 1927. He graduated from Sibley High School in 1933. Don worked in the family business (Stachours’ United Farm Service) before WWII. Don’s WWII service lasted 3 years, serving in Italy, France, Germany, & Austria with the 173rd Field Artillery. After WWII he joined his brother (Richard) in owning the family business. Over the years, they sold Chrysler cars, JI Case farm equipment, and Champlin and Mobil gasoline/oil products; before selling the business & retiring in 1978.
Don’s initial retirement was brief. He worked part-time in the local supermarket, Steve’s Red Owl for a few years before being appointed to a vacancy on the Osceola County Board of Supervisors and served a total of 12 years, between years 1982-1998.
He was a life – long member of 1st Presbyterian Church, serving as a teacher, choir member, deacon and elder. He also was the church treasurer for 32 years.
Don was a Rotarian for 42 years and received the PAUL HARRIS FELLOW award which is given for furtherance of better understanding among the peoples of the world. Don was a soft spoken man but very proud of his military service and has maintained his membership in the American Legion since 1946.
On June 2 1940 Don married Elsie Dreessen at 1st Presbyterian Church of Sibley (the 1st wedding in the new church building). They were married for 74 wonderful years and were each other’s best friend.
Don firmly believed in civic responsibility and was very involved with his community. He was a member of the Osceola Community Hospital board; first President and later Treasurer of Country View Manor; a member of Sibley Industrial Development Corp; a member of the Advisory Committee at Cherokee Mental Health Institute; and a delegate for Osceola County Republicans to County, District, and State Conventions. He was also on the team that designed Heartwood Heights, which is where Don and Elsie lived for 2 1/2 years after selling their home.
Don & Elsie always reserved time for vacations. They visited all 99 Iowa counties, all 50 of the United States (which included visiting Barrow, Alaska), and most of the Canadian Provinces. They made 2 trips to Europe and one to the Caribbean, which included a cruise through the Panama Canal.
Don was preceded in death by his wife Elsie (August 24, 2014), his parents, 4 of his siblings: John Stachour, Richard Stachour, Ellyn Hansen, Ernie Stachour, and Son-in-Law Ken Kekich.
He is survived by his sister Gertrude Swalve of Winnebago, IL; son Paul (Frances) of Bloomington, MN; son Dennis (Margaret) of Apple Valley, MN; daughter Donna Kekich of St. Paul, MN; 7 grandchildren: Valerie Stachour, Ann Vensland (Dave), Elizabeth Santos (Filipe), Frank Stachour (LeeAnne), Steven Kekich, Charles (Irina) Stachour, and Brian Kekich; 7 great grandchildren: Avery, Ben, Noelle, Lindsey Czarnecki, and Gabriel, Michael, Abigail Stachour; and sister-in-law Mildred Dreessen; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
