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Donald Gehl
DONALD JOSEPH GEHL
Monticello
Donald Joseph Gehl, 85, of Monticello, died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, following a brief illness.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Dubuque, Iowa. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. on Monday,
Feb. 5, 2018, at the Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello. Burial will be in Mount
Calvary Cemetery, Dubuque.
Don was born in Cascade, Iowa, on Aug. 25, 1932, the son of John and Lula (Parrot) Gehl. He met his wife Arlene Wiederhold at her sister's wedding, where she was the maid of honor and he was the best man. They married on May 7, 1952, at St. Anthony's in Dubuque.
Don and his wife worked hard raising six daughters and spent many years farming, with Don working a second job to help support his family. The family farmed in both Dubuque and Jackson counties, settling in Stone City, near Anamosa, Iowa. In 1984 the couple sold out and moved to Monticello, Iowa. Don retired from Star Manufacturing in 1996. Since retirement, the couple enjoyed travel, cat shows with their Silver Persians, and time with family and friends. Don was a loving husband, father and grandfather, always having a joke to keep the conversation lively. He loved videotaping both his grandchildren and the countryside near Jackson County, where he grew up. He loved his toy tractor collection but had even more fun in his later years giving a tractor or two to each of his children and grandchildren.
Those honoring his memory are his wife of 65 years, Arlene; daughters and their spouses, Ann (Bob) Reddin, Zwingle, Iowa, Deb (Mike) Sickles, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bonnie (Steve) Covey, Cypress, Texas, Judy (Bill) Raymond, Center Junction, Iowa, and Amy (Gary Lawrence) Chapman, Monticello; 14 grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, five stepgreat-grandchildren, and a sister, Dorothy (Tom) Ryan, Clinton, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Cathy Kroul in 1983; a granddaughter, Michelle; a sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Dale Blinkinsop; and brothers John and Bob Gehl.
Memorials may be directed to the Animal Welfare Friends in Monticello.
"We hope you found your car and are driving, and we will take care of the boss until she is ready for you to pick her up."
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