116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Donald Mathes
DONALD MATHES
Swisher
Donald P. Mathes, 69, of Swisher, died early Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha after a courageous battle with mesothelioma.
Don was born July 19, 1946, in Waterloo and graduated from La Porte City High School. Following graduation, he moved to the Cedar Rapids area, where he started a family of his own.
Drawing from mechan-ical skills learned on his family's farm, Don had a long career as a skilled machinist, working for Link-Belt FMC, Rockwell-Collins, Square D and MSI Mold Builders. Until retirement in 2011, Don was a highly regarded tool and die maker at Oral B in Iowa City for over 20 years.
In his retirement, Don restored a 1958 Edsel. He fabricated many obsolete parts himself and soon began supplying parts to others.
He was a passionate gardener, taking great pride in his large backyard vegetable plot. Every May, Don foraged for morel mushrooms. He enjoyed playing golf and loved his cats. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and a snowmobiling club in Swisher.
Don had a quick wit and a great sense of humor. He had a strong work ethic and took great pride in his work, whether for Oral B or on the house he renovated himself.
Donald is survived by his children, Gina Mathes, Wichita, Kan., Donna Mathes, Seattle, Wash., Kerrie Mathes and husband Creston Lea, Burlington, Vt., and Kurt Mathes, Swisher; his former wife, Bonnie Harger of Swisher, and her daughter, Beth Cavalier of Iowa City; siblings, Phyllis Van Tassell, Patricia (Robert) Klingaman, Gene (Betty) Mathes, John Mathes, Burton Mathes, Nancy (Jack) Oldag and Rebecca Junkins; two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Florence (Girsch) Mathes; two sisters, Joyce Prokaski and Judith Mathes; and a niece, Julie Oldag.
A memorial fund has been established.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.papich-kubafs.com under "obituaries."
Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Monday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, by Father Christopher Podhajsky. Burial: Anderson Cemetery, Swisher. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Papich-Kuba Funeral Home East, 1228 Second St. SE, Cedar Rapids.
Daily Newsletters