Donald May

FUNERAL SERVICES : 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids, MN with Reverend Tim Heinecke officiating.VISITATION : 6-8:00 P.M. on Friday, August 31, 2012 at Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids, MN and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.INTERMENT : Akeley City Cemetery, Akeley, MinnesotaSURVIVORS : His wife, Joanne; his 3 children: Jeff (Jill) May, Dawn Vaadeland and Paul (Kim) May; his grandchildren: Josh and Michelle May, Erika and Jason Handegaard, Hunter May, Elizabeth Vaadeland, Dezarae May and A.J. May; great grandchildren: Sage and Abby Handegaard, Jaden and Landen May and Talen May; 3 sisters: Claudia (Gary) Vik, Karen (Mike) Freeman and Alice (Arnold) Samuelson; 6 brothers: Jim (Nancy) May, Cliff (Gwen) May, Gary (Ilea) May, Larry (Rilla) May, Tom (Sandi) May and Bruce (Chris) May and brother-in-law, Martin Cox. DONALD ARTHUR MAYJune 10, 1933 ~ August 27, 2012 Donald Arthur May, age 79 of Park Rapids, MN passed away on Monday, August 27, 2012 with his loved ones at his side at St. Joseph"s Area Hospital in Park Rapids. Don was born on June 10, 1933 to William and Lorna (Krueger) May in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He was baptized on April 1, 1934; Arthur Krueger and Beulah Miller were his Sponsors. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved". ~ Mark 16:16 On June 20, 1948, Don was confirmed at the Badoura Church by Pastor Arthur Dierks. "Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ". ~ Philippians 1:2 Don attended the Badoura school for 8 years and then went on to graduate from the Akeley High School. He enlisted with the United States Army on February 20, 1953 and his basic training was at Fort Riley, Kansas for 8 weeks before going to Camp Carson, Colorado for the next 14 months. Don was then stationed in Korea for 18 months until his honorable discharge on December 5, 1955. On June 3, 1956, Don was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Joanne Ingman. Their union was blessed with three children: Jeff, Dawn and Paul. Don worked as an Electrical Lineman for Itasca Mantrap for 31 years until his retirement in 1988. Don was a long time active member of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids where he held many church offices over the years. He was also a member of the Park Rapids Fire Department for 23 years. Don loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. He looked forward to the yearly family trip to their hunting shack " otherwise known as the "LaSalle Retreat". He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Joanne; his 3 children: Jeff (Jill) May, Dawn Vaadeland and Paul (Kim) May; his grandchildren: Josh and Michelle May, Erika and Jason Handegaard, Hunter May, Elizabeth Vaadeland, Dezarae May and A.J. May; great grandchildren: Sage and Abby Handegaard, Jaden and Landen May and Talen May; 3 sisters: Claudia (Gary) Vik, Karen (Mike) Freeman and Alice (Arnold) Samuelson; 6 brothers: Jim (Nancy) May, Cliff (Gwen) May, Gary (Ilea) May, Larry (Rilla) May, Tom (Sandi) May and Bruce (Chris) May and brother-in-law, Martin Cox. Don was preceded in death by his parents; 4 sisters: Deanna May, Marilyn Pickett, Betty Teigen and Billie Cox; 2 brothers: Gerald and Dennis May and 1 grandchild, Jordan May. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Park Rapids, MN with Reverend James Neubauer and Reverend Tim Heinecke officiating. Military Honors will be provided by Star of the North Marine Corps League. Visitation will be held from 6-8:00 P.M. on Friday, August 31, 2012 at Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids, MN and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Interment will be held at the Akeley City Cemetery in Akeley, MN.