Donald Lee Gutknecht

He was the youngest child of August and Matilda (Reich) Gutknecht; born on June 20th, 1933 just south of Hazen North Dakota on the family farm, in Oliver County. He first attended Red Butte School and later “town” school in Hazen.

His parents taught him the value of family, hard work, being a good neighbor, a true friend, a patriotic and proud American and having a strong and abiding faith in God. These lessons would carry him through his entire life.

In 1951, Don worked on the construction of the Garrison Dam. In 1952 he answered the call to serve our country. The Army noted his aptitude for electronics; his assignments centered primarily on radio communications. The Army sent this North Dakota boy into the deep south, the west coast and points in between. His final assignment took him to Camp Carson (Fort Carson) in Colorado. While serving there he had a chance meeting with a pretty young woman named Joan and in October of 1955 they were married. They were truly each other’s better half, best friend and enjoyed a long and happy marriage.

After Don’s discharge from the Army, he and his bride moved to Leadville CO where Don worked at the Climax Molybdenum Mine, for a short time. With the help of the G.I. Bill and the money he had saved from working at the mine, he entered North Dakota State School of Science, graduating with a degree in Radio Communications.

After graduation, he opened a TV and radio repair shop in Hazen. In 1958, Don and Joan welcomed their first child, Conni. In 1960, Don received and accepted an offer to work for Aero Communications in Fargo ND. In 1961 their 2nd child, Steven was born and shortly after that Don’s job took the family to Grand Forks ND and then Cheyenne WY. In 1967, he was offered the position to manage the two-way radio communications systems for the City of Colorado Springs Police and Fire Departments. Over his 31 year career, he saw his department grow nearly as fast as the city grew. Eventually, supervising a group of highly dedicated staff, whose daunting scope of responsibilities encompassed every facet of two-way radio communications for both general city and utilities. Don remarked, “I had the best job and worked with the finest people”.

In 1998, he retired. But, he didn’t slow down, he just switched directions. He and Joan enjoyed having more time for fishing, travelling, camping, spending time spoiling their grandchildren and working in their flower and vegetable gardens, until Joan’s passing in 2000. This was a difficult time. Don drew strength from his brother Melvin, his children and grandchildren and learned that life still had so much to offer. He lived the remainder of his life to the fullest. Fishing was at the top of his list. He especially loved Walleye fishing in Canada and on Lake Sakakawea but was willing to cast his fishing rod anywhere the water looked promising. Don continued to travel; his favorite destinations were Hawaii and Germany.

In 2011, Don began looking for a summer home in Hazen. His brother, Melvin suggested he purchase a church that was for sale, so he did. Just before renovation work was to begin in the spring of 2012, Don suffered another huge loss with the death of his only son, Steven. Eventually, with the help of family and craftsman in the Hazen area, the church renovation moved forward. For Don and his daughter Conni, working to restore and preserve the church became a way to work through the grief. In the fall of 2017, there was an opportunity to purchase the former church parsonage. So Don did, his intention being to have plenty of room for family to stay when they came to visit and fish. The work on the church and parsonage will continue, in his memory.

Don had been a member of the Pikes Peak United Methodist Church, in Colorado Springs since 1967. Don was active in many service organizations over the years including Boy Scouts, the Elks and the Eagles. He was a member of the Germans From Russia Historical Society (both of his parents had immigrated from Arzis, Bessarabia) and the Colorado Springs Ham Radio Club. He was a Master Mason and Shriner with Al Kaly of Colorado Springs. Most notably, however, he

belonged to the American Legion continuously for 62 years. During that time, besides assisting in countless service activities, he played bugle for the Drum and Bugle Corps in Hazen and Fargo ND, Cheyenne WY and Colorado Springs, CO. Through the American Legion, he was also a member of the “Forty and Eight”.

Don was preceded in death by his father August Gutknecht, mother Matilda (Reich), brother Walter, sister Reha Scherer, wife Joan (Simpson), son Steven as well as his sister-in-law Greta (Mohl), sister-in-law Francis (Klaudt) and brother-in-law Raymond Scherer. He is survived by his brother Melvin, daughter Conni DeMark (spouse: James), grandson Kyle DeMark, granddaughter Katelyn (Gutknecht) Teasdale (spouse: Aaron), 3 precious great-granddaughters Bristol, Aria and Sonya as well as 14 much-loved nieces and nephews.