Donald Lee Plagens

Donald Lee Plagens, 74, of Hamilton, passed away Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Tx. Services were held Saturday, November 14, 2015 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hamilton.

Donald was born June 22, 1941 to Ed and Victoria Plagens in Bryan. He graduated from Garden City High School in 1959. He married Wanda Williams on April 8, 1961 in San Angelo. They eventually had three children, Nathan, Alisa, and Shana.

Donald had a life long love for farming. He and Wanda began their married life farming in the St .Lawrence area. Later, he owned and operated an irrigation business in Big Spring, Tx. In 1963 Don and his family moved to Grand Prairie to work for LTV as a machinist. Several years later they moved to Cleburne where he continued to work as a machinist and owned and operated a service station. In 1972, Don leased a small farm at Shive in order to pursue his lifelong dream of being a full time farmer. To supplement the farming income, Don worked at Hercules in McGregor as a machinist and a union representative. Don, Wanda and the family eventually moved to Hamilton, where he started FPN Machining with his partners in 1980. In 1982 Wanda and Alisa were killed in an auto accident.

After Wanda's death, Don married Lynn Pickard Elmore on November 29, 1986 in Hamilton.

Don and Lynn closed the machine shop in 1994 and opened Plagens Machine Works shortly thereafter. They happily sold the business in 2004 and retired. Until his first stroke in 2007, Don spent some of his happiest days looking after his cattle.

Don spent many years working with the youth in Hamilton and Cleburne. He was very active as a 4-H leader, was on the board of the Hamilton Livestock Association, the Hamilton Athletic Association; and he coached many Little League teams! He also spent several years on the Hamilton School Board.

Donald is survived by his wife, Lynn; son Nathan and wife Leann of Houston; daughter Shana and husband Matt of Gatesville; son Jack Matthews and wife, Laura of Dallas, son Russell Elmore of Taipei City, Taiwan; daughter Lauren Donnell and husband Keith of Benbrook; five brothers, Milton and wife Albina of San Angelo, Ed and wife Bernadette of St. Lawrence, Frank and wife Kathy of Dallas, Earl and wife Sheila of Colorado City and Robert and wife Cathy of Bryan, and one sister, Alice of Bryan; sisters-in-law, Georgia Plagens and Leigh Plagens; grandchildren Jacob Plagens, Paige and husband Josh Hargrove; Ashley and Clair Padgett, Brenden and Gryphon Matthews, Grace, Joely, and Sage Donnell; and one great-granddaughter, Kelby Hargrove.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Wanda, and daughter, Alisa; three brothers, Norman Plagens of Rankin, Clarence Plagens of Rockwall and Monsignor James Plagens of Midland.

Donations may be made to the Friends of Hamilton ISD in his memory.