Donavon Carlson

VIEW SERVICE FOLDER

Donavon Eugene Carlson, age 83, of Renner, died on Thursday, December 31, 2015, at Southridge Healthcare in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 am Thursday, January 7, 2016, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Baltic. Visitation will be from 5-8:00 pm Wednesday at the funeral home.

Don was born on July 4, 1932 on a farm southwest of Russell, Minnesota to Carl and June Carlson. He started his education in a one room school near Russell, MN. In 1949, he moved with his family to a farm north of Raymond, SD. Don enlisted in the United States Navy in 1952. He served on the U.S.S. Tanager (AM-385) for two years and the U.S.S. Navarro (APA-215) for two years. He was released from active duty where he continued to serve until his Honorable Discharge in 1960. He was proud to be a U.S. Naval Korean War Veteran.

Don married Sally Voss in 1964 and they had six children. He was a heavy equipment operator, sheared sheep, and drove truck. He began his truck driving career with MCT in 1975 as an over the road truck driver. In 1979 he became a driving instructor where he met and married Patricia Fossum Corbett in 1980. He retired in 1997. He then drove for Cummins, traveling the United States and Canada showing a signature 600 Cummins Engine. After that he returned to MCT as an owner-operator until 2009. Don was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, fishing, farming, and gardening. Every free moment he had, he could be found on his boat at Lake Vermillion.

Survivors include his children: Michelle (Dave) Houle, Grand Rapids, MN, Brenda Amundson (Clarence), Heidi Schumacher (Theran), Mark Carlson, all of Sioux Falls, SD, and Mindi (Alan) Finck, Bemidji, MN; daughter-in-law, Deb Carlson, Crooks, SD; step-son, Jeff Corbett, Sioux Falls, SD; 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; seven brothers and sisters; many nieces and nephews, and a host of other friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and June Carlson, wife, Patricia, a son, Micheal Carlson, and a sister, Marlene Mundhenke.