The world lost another World War II veteran on March 27, 2020, as Donald Glen Dunham left this life for the next at the age of 93. Born on December 30, 1926 in White Cloud to Kathryn (Lehman) and Glen Dunham, he was the middle of nine children : Leonard, Louise, Carolyn, Arlene, Jean, Charles, Robert, Larry. All the family lived and worked at the family farm in Big Prairie Township. Don would later say the Army was no harder than farming. He liked playing football in high school, but of course he had no ride home after practice so he had to walk the 9 miles from town back to his home. When he was 18, he went to Battle Creek and enlisted in the United States Army. He thought that because he volunteered he got a decent job, and here is all he would say about that, "although he could join the Army at age 18, he couldn't be deployed overseas until he turned 19, so the Army trained him at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He always thought Alabama was flat until the soldiers had to take a 20 mile hike up the mountains. When he did get deployed the plane landed in Lucky Strike, France. All he found when he arrived was two huge piles of coal. It was freezing cold but they weren't allowed to touch the coal. He was assigned to his own medical station, a small building lined with medication in Steyr, Austria." And that's all he would say about that, but he did say to his family, one of the locals had a boat and told the Army buddies they could use it if they could get it going. So they scrounged for parts from disabled jeeps and worked until they got the boat running and could motor on down the river. After coming home from the Army, Don got a job, married Janette Webster (they later divorced after all the kids were raised), had four children : Dr. Connie (Keith) Dykman of Bronson, Michigan; Kathryn Horvath (deceased); Ronald (Mary) Dunham of Fremont; Janna Moon of Fremont; son-in-law, Frank Horvath of Fremont; 7 grandchildren, Travis (Mary) Dykman of Grand Blanc, Michigan; Angela (Eric) Raube of Three Forks, Montana; Justin (Katie) Moon of Fremont; Daniel (Abi) Moon of Fremont; Marcus (Autum) Moon of Fremont; Curtis (Amanda) Dunham of Fremont; 8 great grandchildren; Joseph and Cameron Dykman, Sydney, Emmerson, Tatum, Bristol, Nathan and Tucker Moon; his sisters, Carolyn Grow of Greenville; Arlene Wallis of Hesperia; Jean (Clifford) Plowman of White Cloud; sisters-in-laws, Lois Dunham; Charlotte Dunham; many nieces and nephews. Don was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathryn "Kathy" Horvath; his grandson, Jason Horvath; his brothers and sisters, Leonard Dunham, Louise Linderer, Chuck Dunham, Bob Dunham, and Larry Dunham. For most of his working life, Don had been a truck driver for Gilliland Transfer Company, delivering Gerber Baby Food to 7 states. He became a member of the Teamsters Union where he served as Union Steward that gave him super seniority as he had a wife and 4 little children to support. He still looked forward to monthly breakfast with the former drivers and his daily breakfast at The Lumberjack Shack. Don's living room reflects the loves of his life – Esther Garbow with whom he spent 20 wonderful years, his family, fiddles, deer hunting and fishing. The highlight of Don and Esther's week were "the dances" at Sand Lake on Thursday night and Sandy's house on Friday night where Don was a fiddler in the band. In his entire life, Don only bought one new car, a 1956 Desoto. He liked motorcycling, snowmobiling, three wheeling, feeding the birds, dancing, cobbling and tinkering. He collected, repaired and showed antique hit-and-miss engines and tractors and collected and repaired old violins. He was a member of the Michigan Fiddlers Association, Tri-State Gasoline Engine and Tractor Association, and the Antique Farm Power Club. He was an avid supporter of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the American Heart Association. At age 89, Don had such a full life that he was approved for and received a heart valve replacement and was still living by himself at age 93 with the help of Meals on Wheels and Baars Pharmacy who packed his pills with the date and time of day to take them. Don was a serious soft spoken man who will be sorely missed. Due to the Stay Home, Stay Safe mandate in the State of Michigan, his children will have a private burial with military honors at the Big Prairie Everett Township Cemetery in White Cloud. A time to Celebrate Don's Life will be held later in the summer with further information to follow. Friends may consider the Fremont Area Community Foundation for the Jason Horvath Memorial Fund in memory of Don. Private Services Big Prairie Everett Township Cemetery Monday, March 30, 2020 2000 S. Pine White Cloud, MI 49349

Private Graveside Services will be held at the cemetery