Magdefrau, Don E.

Funeral services for Don E. Magdefrau, 75, Belle Plaine, are at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine, with the Rev. Dean Duncan officiating. Magdefrau died Friday, March 2, 2012, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids, from complications of a massive stroke. Visitation is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at First Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Don Edward Magdefrau was born Aug. 25, 1936, in Oelwein to Willis and Anna (Miller) Magdefrau. The family moved to Belle Plaine in the 1940s when Willis accepted a job with Funk's G Hybrid. He graduated from Belle Plaine High School in 1954 and attended the University of Iowa, participating in the Hawkeye Marching Band. On Dec. 2, 1956, Don married Frances Backes in Keystone.

He is survived by his wife, Frances; son, Jim of Van Horne; two daughters, Joni (Rod) Muench of Omaha, Neb., and daughter, Julie (Gary) Thompson of Van Horne; and six grandchildren, Allison (Tripp) Stroud, Andrew Muench (fiancee Sally Cordt), Austin Muench (fiancee Leah Alexander), Wesley Thompson, Emily (Justin) Salier and Reese Thompson.

He is also survived by two sisters, Jane (Gerald) Ketterling and Janet (Del) Axtell; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Melvin Lehrman, Alice (Edgar) Heitshusen, Luella Scott and Velma (Ivan) Butt,; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Jan in 2009; brothers-in-law, Franklin Backes and John D. Scott; and sister-in-law, Martha Lehrman.

Magdefrau had a 55-year newspaper career, starting by sweeping floors at Burrows Publishing, Belle Plaine. He went into partnership and purchased the Belle Plaine Union and Benton County Star. The latter newspaper combined with the Blairstown Press to form the Star-Press. He retired in 2007.

Locally, he belonged to and held offices in the Belle Plaine Rotary Club, Belle Plaine Improvement Co., First Lutheran Church, Belle Plaine Area Ambulance Service, Belle Plaine Development Commission, Chamber of Commerce and July Fourth Committee. He served as Benton County's citizen representative on the East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board and served on Benton County's Jail Study Committee.

Memorials preferred by the family is the Belle Plaine Area Ambulance, First Lutheran Church and the Iowa Newspaper Foundation.

Hrabak Funeral Home, Belle Plaine, is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at under “obituaries.”

Published in The Gazette March 5, 2012.