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 Elvers
DONALD ELVERS
Elkader
Donald Elvers, 83, of rural Elkader, died Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014, at Central Community Hospital in Elkader.
Donald Dean Elvers was born July 19, 1931, near Littleport, Iowa, to Otto and Marie Dohrer Elvers. He was baptized at Hope Lutheran Church in Littleport and confirmed at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Elkport. Don farmed with his father in early life and was educated in a one-room country school through eighth grade. He graduated from Postville High School in 1949.
In January 1955, he married Ervey Engelhardt at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville. She passed away in August 1990. No children were born to this union.
In 1955, Don went to Cedar Rapids, where he went to work for the Caterpillar dealer. He spent his entire career in the service department working as a mechanic, field service man, shop foreman and field service supervisor. He retired in 1993.
Don was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge. He was a past member of the El Kahir Shrine. Don was a 50-year member of the Shrine Chanters and past president and member of Cedar Rapids Harmony Hawks.
In June 1998, he married Mabel Pettlon-Gress and they moved back to Elkader to a new home. He became a member of the Northeast Iowa Shrine Motor Clowns and Northeast Iowa Shrine Club. In 2001, he was president of the Motor Clowns. He loved his caterpillars and had two antique ones of his own.
Survivors include his wife, Mabel Pettlon-Elvers of Elkader; two stepchildren; eight stepgrandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren; one sister, Nancy Deetz of Owatonna, Minn.; nieces, nephews and many friends.
Don was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ervey Elvers; two brothers, Dale and Kenneth Elvers; and one sister, Marilyn Fay.
Memorials may be directed to the Shriners Children's Hospital.
Funeral services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Bethany Lutheran Church, Elkader, with the Rev. Leonard Ranson officiating. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, at Leonard Funeral Home in Elkader, where there will be a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m. Interment: Saturday at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.
Daily Newsletters