DONALD K. WARD

Donald Ward

Donald K. Ward, 91, of Lincoln, formerly of Mason City, died at 10:47 a.m. Dec. 30, 2016, at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.

He was born Nov. 29, 1925, in Brooklyn, a son of Kenneth L. and Florence Wells Ward. He first married Shirley L. Bellomy on May 1, 1946, in Frederick. She preceded him in death on Feb. 11, 1977. He later married Mildred M. Zehr on Dec. 30, 1984, in Pekin. She preceded him in death on Sept. 16, 2009.

Also preceding him in death was one brother, Marcus J. Ward.

Surviving are one son, Niles S. Ward of Springfield; one daughter, Janet (and Joe) Zimmerman of Sherman; one sister, Beverly Blust of Galesburg; six grandchildren; two step grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three step great-grandchildren.

He served with United States Coast Guard Merchant Marines during World War II. He served in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Middle East War zones.

He was the fleet manager for National By-Products, Incorporated, for 30 years, retiring on Jan. 1, 1983.

He was a member and elder of First Christian Church in Mason City. During the 1970s and 1980s, he served with a lay witness mission. He was a member of Gideons International and volunteered at The Christian Village in Lincoln.

Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Wood Funeral Home in Rushville with Chaplain Ryan Edgecomb officiating. Burial will follow in the Messerer Cemetery near Frederick. Visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. until service time.

Memorials may be made to Gideons International or The Christian Village in Lincoln.

Condolences may be sent to www.woodfuneralhome.online.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 1/4/2017