"Dear Dehmlow Family, We send our deepest sympathy to your entire family. We are praying for God to comfort each one of you and surround you with his amazing love. Cherish your wonderful memories. We know you have many. Chad, we send you our love. Respectfully, "
In loving memory of
Donald Dehmlow
October 24, 1938 - February 28, 2011
Donald "Duck" Dean Dehmlow was born on October 24, 1938, in Comfrey, Minnesota to the late Kenneth Eugene and Doris Ellen (Patton) Dehmlow. He received his early education in Bingham Lake and later completed his education in the Windom Public Schools.
Don was united in marriage to Janice Lorene Strausser on December 26, 1959, in Jackson, Minnesota. This union was blessed with three children, Laurie, Jeff and Chad. After marriage, Don and Jan lived in Windom for a short time before moving to their current home on Highway 60 in Bingham Lake. For fifty-one years, Don owned and operated the Bingham Lake Truck Center next to his home in Bingham Lake where he loved what he did and met a lot of people and friends through the business.
Through the years, Don was also involved in his community as a member of the Bingham Lake United Methodist Church until it closed. While a member of the church, Don served the church in many different areas including lay leader, usher, Sunday school teacher and as a volunteer custodian. After its closing, Don started attending the First United Methodist Church in Windom where he was active in the church. He also was a member of the Bingham Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
On Monday morning, February 28, 2011, Don was working at the truck center and was involved in an accident that took his life at the age of 72 years. He lived and died doing what he loved.
Don is survived by his wife of fifty-one years, Jan Dehmlow of Bingham Lake; three children, Laurie Dehmlow (Fred Jew) of St. Paul; Jeff Dehmlow of Crystal; Chad Dehmlow (Jenelle) of Hudson, WI; one step-grandson, Ryan Jew of Wasilla, AK; five brothers and sisters, Vernon (Julene) Dehmlow of Grove City; Genevieve Jones of Laurens, IA; Kenneth (Rose) Dehmlow of Jordan; Rodney (Rita) Dehmlow of Prior Lake; Rebecca (Robert) Millea of Tulsa, OK; one brother-in-law, Richard Hyde of Bingham Lake; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Don is preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Bonne Menken-Hyde; and two brother-in-laws, Wayne Jones and Levern "Tiny" Menken.
Tributes
"Laurie and family ~ I remember lots of fun times at your family's home during sleepovers and such way back in 5th and 6th grade. I'm sorry for your loss. Steve and I will pray for your family. ~Sue Miller Daggett"
"Don was a classmate. We had lunch in Bingham Lake not too long ago. He was surely one of the good guys. Everyone will surely miss him. "
" I apologize and am so sorry for the blank page of my first tribute to the Dehmlow family. Must be my old age but, I remember how kind and wonderful your family was to the Larson family. Thank you. My VERY Deepest Sympathy to the Dehmlow family. I was so sad to hear about Don?s passing. The Dehmlow family was not only so kind and wonderful to my Mom and Larry and all of our family and other people too. You allowed Larry to use your business space and equipment to work on MY cars and lone behold my car came back so beautiful.. I will go to Mission Dolores and light a candle for Don and family. (San Francisco) Eunie and the Hilda and Olaf Larson Family. "
"My VERY Deepest Sympathy to the Dehmlow family. I was so sad to hear about Don?s passing. Some people should live forever. The Dehmlow family was so kind and wonderful to my Mom and Larry and all of our family. You allowed Larry to use your business space and equipment to work on MY cars and lone behold my car came back so beautiful that some bad guy decided to steal it and it was never found.. I will go to Dolores Mission and light a candle for Don and family. (San Francisco) Eunie and the Hilda and Olaf Larson Family. "
"Jan and family... So sorry about Duck! He was Doug's favorite "truck guy" and was such a nice man. You have my sympathies. Candy Soleta"
"Jan, this is crazy but Rose and I were just mentioning Don the other day. We just heard about his passing today, Friday, we are so sorry to hear of his passing. You are in our prayers, Take Care and God Bless"
"Jan--I am so sorry to hear about your loss. You will be in my thoughts and prayers."
"Dear Dehmlow family - I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I have such fond memories of your whole family, but I especially enjoyed being teased by Don in my teens. He was always so warm and inviting with the right hint of humor (that I know he passed on to the boys. :) ) I will miss seeing his smiling face when I return to visit the Windom area. He will be missed! Lots of love to you all as you go through this time in your lives. "
"Jan and family... We are so sorry to hear of Don's death. May you feel the Lord's peace surrounding and uplifting you at this time. "
"Dear Dehmlow Family, Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time. I know the strength with in your family will hold you together and the lifetime of great memories will sooth your tears and bring smiles at the great life he had and the accomplishments he did, some of the most important by having you as part of his life! He is an important man and will be missed."
"Jan and Family, Jay enjoyed so much visiting with Donald when we would come to Windom. He was a pillar of a man and he will be missed. Barbara Locke, Warner Robins, Ga."
"Dear Jan and family- Our thoughts and prayers are with you at such a sad time in your life. May God bless and comfort you all! "
"Dear Jan and family, You are not alone. The God of all comfort will be with you through the tears and lonelinesss. He will lovingly provide the strength you need for each day. We offer you our prayers and sympathy. Leslie & Gail Schaffer and Roy Cappy"
"Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad, My thoughts are with you and am wishing you strength and peace during this time. One of the last times I was home, I had lunch with my parents at PJ's and Duck, Jan, and Kenny were also eating with us. I really enjoyed talking and reminiscing with Duck and remember his contagious smile."
"Dear Jan and family- we are very sad to here about "Duck". He was always fun to sit by coffee and to visit with. He will be missed. We enjoyed him. "
" Aunt Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad:With our deepest sympathy. We wish you strength during this difficult time. We love you."
"The type of man that Duck was is witnessed by the vast number of messages of condolences that you have received. It goes with out saying that Duck was well respected and well thought of by all who knew him. Many of us had the pleasure and enjoyed morning coffee with Duck over the years. He will truely be missed by all that knew him. I send my sympathy to you. "
"To Ducks' family...My heart goes out to you all at this time of sorrow....It was such a shock to me....I got to know Duck and Jan when I worked for his sister Bonnie at Bonnie Jean's Cafe....He will be missed by so many people.....Treasure the memories.....He may be gone but he is always in your heart and now he is watching over you from up Above.....Jan, you and your entire family are in my Prayers and Thoughts......God Bless Duck!"
"Dear Jan and family- I am so very glad that we got to see both of you at Nancys' birthday party! What a loss for our family. He will always be missed and you will be in our thoughts and prayers."
"Dear Dehmlow family, while we had only a few meetings over the last twenty or so years, we do remember those times we did vist with Duck and they were memorable times, Don was the kind of guy that made you feel you had known him all your life, we always knew him as Duck and in the obit. we find his name was Don. Anyway he will be missed, he was one of the good guys, and we were glad that we were able to know him, and we wish to convey our sincerest condolences to you for your loss. Don and Judy Reed"
"Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad, We are so sorry to hear about Duck. We hope you find comfort in your memories and with each other during this difficult time. Be there for each other and never forget the love you shared. We will always remember his unforgettable smile. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. "
"What a sad and sudden end to a wonderful life. Uncle Duck taught me so much about being kind and thoughtful to children because he was to me. Forty years later I can remember his funny voices and many winks and smiles. Some of the things I now do with my grandchildren I learned from Uncle Duck. My prayers and sympathies go out to Aunt Jan, Laurie, Chad, and Jeff. Together we will always cherish his memory and one day soon we'll join him in our eternal home."
"Dear Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad, Our Uncle Duck will be so very missed by anyone who knew him especially his family. He was a kind and very giving man. I send my thoughts and prayers to you all. Love you all, DeDee and Larry"
"Jan and Family, Our hearts go out to you in sympathy at the sudden loss of Ducky. He was a good friend, and Stan will miss stopping and visiting and sharing a cup of coffee while they gave each other a hard time. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you as you go through the difficult days ahead. May God hold you close in his everlasting arms. Without a doubt, Bingham Lake will never be the same without Ducky! Love and prayers, Stan and Marge Lohrenz "
"Dearest Family Jan, Laurie, Jeff & Chad...My thoughts, prayers and love is being sent to give you strength and peace during this difficult time. It is such a tragedy to lose the one that gives so much of himself not only to his family but to everyone that met him. Duck will always be loved and greatly missed. May he rest in the arms of our Heavenly Father above. Love you all! Kellie-Sue & Dave"
"thou have only met donald once last year at the family reunion i felt as if i had known both of you much longer. what great people you are. they say time heals all but it will take sometime and you have peace in holding the memories you both created in your life together. my sincerest sympathy to all of you. just know you will be in my prayers."
"Jan and children: What a loss for all of you and to the community. Although our paths have crossed less frequently in the latter years, we treasure all the times we spent together playing cards, roller skating and evenings spent while the guys were at guards. Just know that you will all be in our prayers and thoughts and may the Lord watch over you and be with you. God Bless!"
"First I pray that his family will find peace and confort that Duck is heaven and looking down on everyone and now waiting all his family and friends join him in Paridise. I have many fantasic memory of Duck that I will always cherish. However, I am greatful that Anton and I was able to see him this summer of 2010. He took Anton out to dinner and of course we hit the Queen which reminded me of the old days when I was a kid with him and his famly"
"Jan and family, we want to add our sympathy to all of you. We really enjoyed our times together square dancing. Don was always so happy and energetic with lots of funny remarks to keep us laughing. Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. Yellow Rocks!"
"Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad: We are so saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Don. We were so fortunate that we got the chance to meet him and experience his contagious smile and stories on our visits to Laurie and Fred"s. We want to extend our deepest sympathy to everyone in your family."
"Jan- My sincerest condolences! My memories of "Duck", and you, are from the roller skating days at Skateland. You were always high on Mom & Dad's list of skating friends. Now "Duck" can join them rolling around the skies! I send my support for you and your family from Burbank, CA. "
"Jan and family, We were saddened to hear about Don's passing. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all. We will be in touch when we get back to Windom. We will miss him sitting near us in church and hearing him sing. With sympathy. Bud and Becky Meyers."
"We were so sad to hear the news of Duck's passing, we will miss him. We so enjoyed our times spent together square dancing, and when ever we would meet . Our deepest sympathy Jan to you and your family!"
"Jan, Laurie, Jeff & Chad. I was stunned to hear of your dads passing. I am so sorry for your loss. He will be missed by many. I will always remember his smile."
"It was a sad day when I learned of Donald's death. He was always a good support for his sister Bonnie as she struggled with her cancer. Donald will be greeting his sister again. He will be missed by so many. God be with you, Jan, and your family as you remember all the good times you had together. He was a great friend to everyone he met. We send our thoughts and prayers to you all. Ina May & Charles Taylor"
"Our sympathy goes out to your family in your loss. Don was a good christian man and will be missed by many people. God bless you as you remember all the good times you shared with him."
"Jan and family, we are sorry to hear of your loss. You have our deepest sympathy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. "
"Jan and family...with deepest sympathy we are sending our regrets. He will be missed by many. God has a plan and He was ready for Duck to come home and join his family. Know that you are in our prayers."
"Dear Aunt Janie, Laure, Jeff, Chad, Fred and Jenelle: Uncle Duck will truely be missed. I can hear him now up in heaven whistling away or singing a hymn. He always had a tune in his heart. Do you suppose he is playing cards with our family? He loved the games. My prayer, thoughts and Love are with each and everyone of you. Love, Suzie"
"So sorry to learn of your loss. He's a terrific person and will be missed daily by many. The love you shared, the warm memories to rely on, the love of close friends and family, and time will comfort you during these difficult time. Thank you for sharing Duck withall who knew and respected him."
"Jan and family, In my thought and in my prayers. May God's light shine in the darkness of these days and give you comfort.
Robin McBride"
"We are so very sorry to hear of your loss. Don was an awesome man and will be missed very much by many. "
"Jeff, My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Know that he is watching over you all and keeping you all safe. Hold on to your memories, they will help you heal, friends and family are here for you. Thinking of you all. "
"Jan & family, Duck will be so missed by the entire community. He was truely one of the good guys - always willing to help - even after hours, was a hard worker & honest. Lean on your faith & friends during this difficult time. "
"Thankful that we got to meet you two through square-dancing ! What fun ! Jan, we know that you, family, and friends are going to miss him so much! Our sympathy, hugs, and prayers."
"Jan, Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very difficult time. Duck was a fun guy to have in the Diner. He will always be remembered as a fun loving guy with always a smile on his face. "
"Thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathy, continue to be with you, Jan, and family. Tho your loved one is gone from your sight - he lives on in many precious memories that you can cherish until you meet again- - in that promised place called Heaven! "
"Jan. I lift you up in prayer during this difficult time. Don was such a hard, honest worker. What a wonderful thing to be known for. He made me smile when he'd come into the chiropractors office- or when serving breakfast to him at the Happy Chef. May he rest in peace and I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. "
"So sorry to hear about your loss. What a great man. I hope you find comfort in your family. Take care."
"Wow he's my Uncle Duck, I guess I thought he would always be with us. I remember going to the reunion we would be so excited to get to see Uncle Duck. He will be so missed by so many. Jan, Chad, Laurie and Jeff you are in our thoughts and prayers. We cant be with you physically but you are all in hearts. Love, Robert and Debi Matthews"
"Jan and family. Sorry to hear of Don's death. He has more work to do up there. You all are in our prayers. Stan and Clara Johnson"
"Jan, We were so sorry to hear about Don and your loss. He was truly a great man and always really enjoyed helping those who needed a helping hand. It is our prayer that God will carry you through this tough time in your life as I know He will. "
"Jan and Family, Sorry to hear about your loss. Don was a very unusual and funny man. A very proud and honest man. A loving family man and will be missed very much but I know that God must have a lot of important work for him to do and also that Bonnie must have a lot of work for him to do for you could never ever slow this man down for nothing. Remember that he has went before you to prepare your house and to wait for you and the rest of the family to come. To God Be The Glory of the memory of Don (Duck) Dehmlow"
"Jan, Laurie, Jeff and Chad... I'm so sorry for your loss. Duck was a good man who always made me smile when he came in for lunch at PJ's,, we all loved giving him a hard time as he sure gave it back to us... I remember as a little girl he always called me "Susie Que",, He was a very good man. Keep your memories close to your hearts and know he is up there keeping you safe. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you. "
"Jan and family, You are in our prayers. Your faith will see you through. God bless you, Jim and Kathy"
"Jan and family, It was with a sad heart that I read of Donald's passing. You won't know me. I grew up in Bingham Lake with Bonny, Billy and Duck. I know that Duck was a Keystone in Bingham Lake. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him."
"I worked for Duck for about 12 years. You couldnt find nicer people than him and his wife Jan.He was a great boss and always had somthing nice to say.wont be the same not seeing him at happy chef in the mornings. He will be missed very much."
"Duck will be greatly missed. He was a family man! I remember all our reunions years ago, he liked to give us kids a hard time and always tease us. Thinking of you guys in this tough time. Love you. "
"Jan we are holding you and our family in our hearts and prayers. We never know the unknown but God will give you the power to overcome all things that are ahead. We are so sorry for your great loss and will miss his smiling face in church. We are in Delaware on a vacation visiting my sister we will not be back until the 12th of March but we are there with you in our hearts and we will be to see you when we return. God Bless all of you and remember all the great memmories. "
"Duck's family, there are no words to express the sudden and untimely death of Duck we will miss him alot. Enjoyed his morning visits at breakfast time. How he could eat burnt toast I will never understand. Your all in our thoughts and prayers"
"Dear Jan & family--Kenny & Rosie & Family. We are so sorry to hear about the loss of your loved one. God wanted Duck to come home as He need Duck in Heaven. Duck is now free from all pain and suffering. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your loss. We are here for you "