Donald Melvin Douglas

Donald Melvin Douglas, asleep in Jesus.

We said goodbye to an amazing man last night. Don was born on April 10, 1938 to Charles and Alvera and passed away on November 15, 2017 in the loving presence of family.  In those 79 years, Don was a brother to Lorna Douglas; a husband to Ellen (née Frazee), having three children: Mike (Ann), Mark (Laurie), and Dona Douglas; and then friend, lover, and husband to Karen (née Callmeyer) for the last 28 years where he gained three step-children: Tina Swarts (Brian), Keith Autry (Charie), and Chris Autry (Jolina).  These unions resulted in 15 grandchildren (Ashley (Justin), Michael (Samantha), Joe, Steve, Jonathan (Chelsea), Taylor, Abbey, Quinn, Nathan, Paige, Liam, Nataly, Myles, Austen, and Harrison) and four great-grandchildren (Alivia, Ethan, Millie, and Colton).  Don could fix anything, make anything, tell the best stories (and an occasional dirty joke), write oodles of poetry, and sing you a ditty.  He loved woodworking, making toy boxes for grandkids, creating lamps and sculptures out of metal, fishing, elk hunting, team roping, the rodeo, Arizona, and being outside. He was a member of the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association). His friends from school and his cousins still call him Donnie, but the rest of us know him as Don, Dad, and Cutie. He holds the 100-yard dash record at Hancock High School and received a recognition award from the school for it in 2012 (although he would say with a wink and a smile that it is because they changed to meters shortly thereafter). While the last five years were spent in a wheel-chair, that didn’t slow him down. Karen liked to say, “Don did more in a wheelchair than most men do on two legs.” His passing has left a hole in all our hearts and we will miss him greatly.  God’s Grace and Peace be set upon our hearts today, as we know he is where the Lord needs him to be. A memorial service will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Tenbrook Road, Arnold, MO 63010, on Monday, Nov. 20 at 10 am with laughter, tears, and stories to follow.