Donald "Don" E. Poelma

Donald Ernest Poelma was born at the Mitchell County Hospital on January 7, 1942 and died February 7, 2015, at the Mitchell County Hospital at the age of 73 years and 1 month.
Don was the third son of George Ernest Poelma and Golda
Esther (Elder) Poelma. His brothers were John Charles "Jack"
Poelma (deceased) and William Theodore "Bill" Poelma. Don was
a strong, hard-working man and learned his work-ethic at a young
age from the family farm located 4 ½ miles northwest of Beloit,
there he learned many skills that he put to use as a homeowner.
Don was a staunch Catholic and a member of the Knights of
Columbus in Beloit since age 19. He attended Solomon Rapids, a
one-room school for the first few years and then finished both
elementary and high school at St. John's. Don graduated with a
Bachelors' degree in Milling Technology from Kansas State
University. He later earned a second Bachelors' degree in
Business Mgmt. He worked as a Quality Assurance Manager for
various feed mills for 35 years.
Don was dedicated to his family and is survived by Micky Sue
(Roberts) Poelma, his wife of 33 years; his son Mark Donald
Poelma and his wife, Elizabeth "Liz", Pleasant Valley, MO;
daughter Lisa Boyer, Liberty, MO; son Brian Michael Poelma and
his wife, Michelle, Columbia, MO; step-daughter Kathy Hopper,
Stewartsville, MO: step-son Miles Harris, St. Joseph, MO: nine
grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; brother Bill and his
wife, Shirley, Wichita: and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding Don in death were his parents, a brother "Jack"; a son, Scott Christopher; and a step-son Dan Harris.
Don always considered the family farm, which has been in the Poelma family 125+ years, and Beloit "home". After retiring and moving back to Beloit Don enjoyed golfing, a coffee group and catching up with old friends and classmates.

Up to the end,
The Strong Man, My Don,
Never a word of why me, did he utter,
He stood firm in his faith,
Struggling hard against the cancer trying to topple him.

Funeral services will be at 11 AM Wednesday, February 11 at the St. John's Catholic Church. A parish rosary service will take place at 7 PM Tuesday at the McDonald Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 11 AM until the rosary service begins, with family present from 5:30 through the rosary service. Memorials may be given to the St. John's Education Fund or Heart Choices.