Celebrating the Life of DONALD RICHARD COLE
It is with great sadness that the family of Donald Cole, 95, of Manning, announce his passing on December 2, 2023.
Don came to work for the Iowa Conservation Commission on November 1, 1945 with an already established knowledge and love of the park environment. Don’s father, Harold Cole or Coley as he was lovingly called, was the park custodian at Pilot Knob State Park and an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, and taught Don many of the attributes needed for a good park manager. Don spent most of his childhood and teen years around Forest City and Clear Lake, pursuing the same hobbies at which he has excelled throughout his life – hunting and fishing.
Don graduated from Forest City High School in 1945. He then started with the Iowa Conservation Commission as a park worker at Pilot Knob State Park. He worked there until the summer of 1946, when he started working on the weed spraying crew and continued until July, 1948.
He married DeLores Kaduce of Thompson, Iowa, on July 15, 1948, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Their first home was at Stone State Park, Sioux City, where Don served as the park attendant for the Iowa Conservation Commission. Daughter Donna was born there in 1950. In 1951, Don was promoted to park custodian and the family moved to Oak Grove State Park in Hawarden. In 1952 Don took a short leave from the ICC to try his luck with other professions, so he and Dee moved to Clear Lake. Son Dixon was born in 1953 in Mason City. But the lure of the park life prompted Don to return to the Parks section for good on March 8, 1954, when he was made the park officer of Springbrook State Park near Guthrie Center. Daughter Debbie was born there in 1959. In 1962 the family was moved to Palisades-Kepler State Park near Mount Vernon. It was there that the Coles met astronaut John Glenn, Jr. and his family, who camped at the park shortly after Glenn’s trip into space as the first man to orbit the Earth with Project Mercury.
In 1967, duty called again and the family was moved to Black Hawk State Park in Lake View, where Don was the park officer for five years. In December 1971, Don was interviewed and chosen for the position of District Park Supervisor for Northwest Iowa. He very capably filled that position until his retirement in 1990.
Don saw many things come and go in the Iowa Conservation Commission and Department of Natural Resources, but through everything, he maintained his professionalism and love for the job.
Don and Dee loved living in their home on Arrowhead Lake and enjoyed feeding the birds and other wildlife. The Coles were devoted members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Lake View since 1967.
Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, golf, bowling and playing cards with their many friends. He was able to go on hunting trips out West and fishing trips in Canada with family and friends. Don possessed an extraordinary ability to tell elaborate jokes. He had one for almost any situation and once he heard one, he never forgot a joke.
Don was preceded in death by his loving wife of 72 years, DeLores; his sister, Dorothy; his brother, David; and his parents, Harold and Minnie (Reveland) Cole.
He will be deeply missed by his children: Donna (Mike) Schoneboom of Polk City; Dixon (Karie) Cole of Manning; Debbie (Brad) Nielsen of Des Moines; grandchildren, Kristy (Hiram) Houghton, Matthew (Susannah) Cole, Stacy (Chris) Anderson, Andrea (Jeff) Troutner, Nate Nielsen, and Jacob Nielsen; and great-grandchildren, James Cole, Madelyn Cole, Hannah Cole, Grace Troutner, Nicholas Troutner, Sydney Houghton, Lincoln Cole, Jack Houghton, Parker Anderson, Cole Anderson, Nora Houghton, and McKenna Anderson.
If friends would like to donate a memorial, the family suggests that contributions be made to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 115 2nd St., Lake View, IA, 51450, or given to the family towards a memorial near Blawk Hawk Lake in Lake View.
