Donald E. Patrick, 81, of rural Grafton, Iowa, died on Friday, March 29, 2013, at Good Samaritan Center, St. Ansgar, Iowa.

Don was born on Jan. 24, 1932, in Havre, Mont., to Charles Richard and Sadie Ina (Gale) Patrick. He was the youngest of 16 children (13 boys, three girls), and the only one born in a hospital. Don attended the Rudyard rural school, graduated from Havre High School, and attended two years at Havre University studying architecture.

He met Ann L. Christenson at church in Havre and later at Seattle, Wash., at the National Luther League Convention. They were engaged in November 1951, and married March 21, 1952, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. He farmed for two years in Goldstone, Mont, and then moved to Grafton, where they bought a farm from the Lutheran Church. In addition, Don sold Hy-Line chickens, grain bin equipment, and MoorMan’s feed, and whitewashed barns.

Together, Don and Ann raised their six children: Debby, Danny, Dwight, David, Diane and Donna. Their travels included Montana; Wyoming; Colorado; California; Florida; New Orleans; the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, Canada; and Japan with the Bridge of Fellowship Tour in 1977. For several years, Don chaperoned church high school students, including a few of his children, on missionary trips to northern Mexico.

Don retired from Moorman’s Feed Company after 32 years in the fall of 1992. From 1990 to 1994, he traveled throughout Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany and San Marino. In 1995, he enjoyed touring with his siblings and some nieces/nephews to England, crossing the English Channel (The Chunnel) at Dover, U.K., to France and then Italy. In May 2001 Don and Ann enjoyed a cruise ship to Alaska, which included a train trip to Denali National Park.

Don and Ann were proud to be the first couple in their family to be married 60 years. Don actively supported many roles throughout the years and was a faithful member of the Lutheran Church. In Don’s words “Praise the lord!”

Don is preceded in death by his wife Ann, parents and 12 brothers and a sister.

Don is survived by six children, Debby (Donald) Arrett, Gordonsville, Minn., Daniel (Dan) Patrick, Grafton, Dwight Patrick, Denver, Colo., David Patrick, Carpenter, Diane (Robert) Ackerman, Highland, Wis., Donna(Ramón) Tirado, Colorado Springs, Colo; nine grandchildren; Chad Patrick, Clear Lake, Shelly Patrick, Denver, Colo., Teresa Suydam, Denver, Colo., Tylor Patrick, Osage, Kendra Ackerman (friend Kevin Kruse), Loganville, Wis., Nathan Ackerman, Milwaukee, Wis., Kenneth Ackerman, Loganville, Wis., Ramón Triado Jr. fiancé Erin, Woodstock, Ga., Daniel Triado, Colorado Springs, Colo; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Phyllis Gagnon of Chester, Mont., and Ruth Meredith of Havre, Mont; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Lyle, Minn., with the Rev. Barbara Finley-Shea officiating. Burial will be in the Grafton Cemetery, Grafton, Iowa. Visitation will be an hour prior to the service. Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home of St. Ansgar is in charge of arrangements, www.schroederandsites.com.