Obituary of Donald Henry Lake

HOLY CROSS, IOWA Donald H. Lake, 86 of Holy Cross, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family. Friends may call from 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Kramer Funeral Home in Holy Cross, where a parish vigil service will be held at 4:00. Friends may also call on Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. at Kramer Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wed. Feb. 11, 2015, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Holy Cross with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Noah Diehm will officiate. Military Honors will be accorded by the New Vienna VFW Post 7736. Don was born April 14, 1928, in Holy Cross the son of Alphonse and Coletta (Zewen) Lake. He married Shirley Jean Cummings, formerly of Hazel Park, MI, on June 20, 1953, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. In 1950, following a year at Loras College, Don enlisted in the US Air Force to serve as an electronics technician and later as an electronics instructor during the Korean War. Following his service in the Air Force, Don returned to farming. Subsequently, he held positions with General Electric in Syracuse, NY, Martin Missile Company in Denver, CO and John Deere. After 27 years with John Deere, Don retired in 1991. If you ever had a "Factory Trained Technician" working on your John Deere, it was quite likely that Don Lake was the person who trained that technician in hydraulics. Don was a dedicated husband and family man who loved nothing better than to be surrounded by his family and friends. His early life on the farm gave him a life-long love of animals, farmland and being part of a small, tight-knit community. He loved farming, gardening, cooking, and spending time with his grandchildren and grand dogs. The Air Force and John Deere afforded Don the opportunity to travel. He passed his love of travel to his children and grandchildren, telling them, "If you ever have the chance to travel, do it! Survivors are his wife of 61 years, Shirley; 3 sons: Mark (Jodi) Lake of Winterset, IA, Brian (Rod Villalobos) Lake of Palm Springs, CA, and Douglas (Dr. Shari Hagerty) Lake of Eldridge, IA; 5 daughters: Christine (Mark) Troup of Chambersburg, PA, Mary Ellen Lake of Dyersville, IA, Cindy (Dennis) Cary of Bettendorf, IA, Maureen (Reenie) Lake of Dubuque, IA, and Lisa (James) Sporer of Holy Cross; 13 grandchildren: Erin and Jill, Andrew and Kayla, Leah, Jairus and Anna, Talia and Eric, Myia, Samantha, Danielle and Garrett; 3 great grandchildren; a sister, Helen (Fred) Westhoff of New Vienna, IA, and a brother, David (Lou) Lake of Holy Cross, and 17 grand dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Robert Lake, and a sister, Doris Sahm. The family would like to thank Stonehill Franciscan Services, Hospice of Dubuque and Home Instead especially Alyssa for their care for Don. A Donald H. Lake Memorial fund has been established memorials are preferred. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kramerfuneral.com.