He was born in Franklin, Nebraska on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1936 to Christina and George Fritson. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Lavon Fritson. He married Veralu “Lou” Meyer April 23, 1966. He had two children, Michael Fritson and Amy Fritson Coffman (David) and one granddaughter, Anna Mireya Coffman. He was preceded in death by his son, Michael. He had many wonderful nieces and nephews from his brother’s two sons as well as the large, loving family into which he married. He always believed, “Our Faith in God, our Love for Each Other, and our Sense of Humor” is what would get us through the challenges in life.
He graduated from Franklin High School and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska where he was a member of the Beta Sigma Psi Fraternity. Don was a corpsman in the Navy where he served in Japan. He was then transferred as a corpsman to the Marines where he worked at a radiation lab in San Francisco. In 1964, he began his 36-year career with State Farm Insurance Co at the Regional office in Lincoln, Nebraska before he was transferred to the Bloomington, Illinois home office.
There will be a visitation on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at East Lawn Funeral Home, Bloomington, IL. A private graveside ceremony will be planned at a later date.
He always had a deep faith, and his family watched as his relationship with the Lord grew through the years. He understood the love of an earthly father and a heavenly father. Everyone saw the love Don had for his wife, Lou and the good provider he was to his family.
Don was known for his great smile and his sense of humor. He wasn’t a man of stories, but of one-liners. He enjoyed his travels but was not a vacationer as he liked to continually be “on the go”. Since 2001, he was blessed with being able to spend his winters at his home in Green Valley, Arizona. He was known as Papo to his granddaughter “Annie” and they shared a love of ice-cream. He also shared his love of a good meal with his family and friends.
In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts, we would ask that you follow Don’s lead. He enjoyed eating out and we know that he would want you to take your loved ones out to eat or bless someone in need with a good meal as a way to celebrate his life.
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