- Date Of Birth: May 5, 1921
- Date Of Death: January 13, 2015
- State: Nebraska
Mr.
Don was born March 5, 1921 on a farm south of Battle Creek the son of Gustav and Clara (Unkel) Praeuner. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Peters Lutheran Heights Church. He attended St. Peters Lutheran School and then graduated from Battle Creek High School with the class of 1939. Don moved to Minnesota and worked on the Gunderman farm for a couple of years and then attended Welding School and moved out to Seattle, Washington where he worked as a Welder in ship yards.
Don married Mildred Hofmann on June 6, 1943 at St. Peters Lutheran Heights Church. The couple then returned to Seattle, and then moved to California where he completed Officer Training. While an engineer in the U.S. Merchant Marines from 1942 to 1946 he worked as an engineer and was deployed to the Aleutian Islands, the South Pacific, Pureto Rico, Italy, Turkey, North Africa, New Guinea, Greece, and the Panama Canal.
Don served on the Battle Creek City Council, Rural Fire Board, and received awards for his work with Madison County Extension and Conservation. Don installed one of the first irrigation systems in the Battle Creek area. As a member of St. Peters Lutheran Church and St. John Lutheran church he served on various committes and held many Bible studies in their home.
Don is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mildred Praeuner, four daughters and their spouses, Susan and Charles Maxine of Shenandoah, Iowa, Joan and Terry Stolle of Lincoln, Jane and Arvid Warneke, and Ellen Sothan of Meadow Grove, one sister Dorothy Tetrev of Albuquerque, New Mexico, one brother, Kenneth Praeuner of Meadow Grove, twelve grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren, and a host of family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one son-in-law, David Nutter, and one great grandson, Lawson Walz, brother-in-law, Miles Tetrev, sister-in-law Flora Praeuner, and nephew, Michael Tetrev.
