Home Search Login  
Print Bookmark

Donald Richard Kearns

Male 1925 - 2010  (85 years)


Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Donald Richard Kearns  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Born 14 Aug 1925  Luray, Clark, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Gender Male 
    Race White  [1] 
    Residence Independence, Buchanan, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Residence 1935  Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Residence 1 Apr 1940  Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1] 
    Age: 14; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son 
    Died 10 Dec 2010  Independence, Buchanan, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 4, 5] 
    Buried Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    • Wyaconda Cemetery, Find A Grave Memorial# 62969002
    Person ID I6470  Clark Benscoter
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2020 

    Father Virgil Kearns,   b. Abt 1907, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother Katie Kearns,   b. Abt 1910, South Dakota, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Relationship natural 
    Family ID F784  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Willa Mae Hines,   b. 29 Jun 1926, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Dec 2005, Independence, Buchanan, Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years) 
    Married 17 Nov 1946  Kahoka, Clark, Missouri, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Children 
     1. Carolyn Kearns  [natural]
     2. Keith Kearns  [natural]
     3. Cynthia Kearns  [natural]
     4. Robert Kearns  [natural]
    Last Modified 4 Mar 2020 
    Family ID F1950  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 14 Aug 1925 - Luray, Clark, Missouri, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - Independence, Buchanan, Iowa, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1935 - Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Age: 14; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Son - 1 Apr 1940 - Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 17 Nov 1946 - Kahoka, Clark, Missouri, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 10 Dec 2010 - Independence, Buchanan, Iowa, USA Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Donald and Willa Kearns gravestone    		Donald and Willa Kearns gravestone

  • Notes 
    • Son of Virgil A. & Katy Neuendorf Kearns
      Veteran of World War 2 and Korean War

      Donald Richard Kearns, 85, of Independence, formerly of Jesup, died at 12:06 p.m. Friday, December 10, 2010 in Buchanan County Health Care Center, Independence, from complications of cancer.

      He was born on August 14, 1925 in Luray, Missouri, the son of Virgil A. and Katy (Neuendorf) Kearns of Granger, Missouri.

      He married Willa Mae Hines on Wyaconda, Missouri on November 17, 1946 in Kahoka, Missouri. She preceded him in death on December 4, 2005.

      He worked on the farm until he was 17 1/2. He graduated from Wyaconda High School in 1947.

      Don enlisted in the United States Navy on February 6, 1943. He served in World War 2, where he was a part of three invasions - Leyte Island, Philippines, Luzon, and Okinawa. He also made two runs to Italy with merchant marine ships, serving as gunner to protect from enemy submarines and aircraft. He was honorably discharged on August 15, 1946. He served int he Korean War on Treasure Island in California from October 1951 to October 1952. He also received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy for that service.

      Don was employed at John Deere Tractor Works for 36 years, from 1946 to November 1, 1982. After retiring, he and Willa made their home in Jesup until November 2003. They then made the move to Oakview in Independence where he currently had his residence. He joined the Boy Scouts in Waterloo as a committeeman and served on the council for 12 years. He worked many hours at the Wapsipinicon Boy Scout Camp. While there, he worked on the quartermaster building, swimming pool, and corral.

      He was a member of the Christian Church on Fourth Street, and then transferred to St. Andrew's Church in Waterloo. After the move to Jesup, he transferred their membership to the First Presbyterian Church. He was an elder at both churches.

      Don was a member of the UAW Local 838 for 36 years, until retiring in 1982. He was an elected official as the financial secretary at Local 838 for two years. He also held that same position at St. Andrew's Church for four years.

      Survivors include his four children, Bob (Sue) Kearns of Mountain Home, Arkansas, Keith (Lavonne) Kearns of Cedar Falls, Cindy (Roger) Bakken of Waterloo, and Carolyn (Lynn) Grobe of Oakland; seven grandchildren, Justin (Stephanie) Kearns of Jesup, Yvette (Dale) Siglin of Dyersville, Joshua (April) Kearns of Baxter, Jessica (David) Smith of Cedar Falls, Jennifer Matzen (Chad Prior) of Cedar Rapids, Travis (Kelly) Bakken of Huxley, and Lindsay (Jesse) Lane of Red Oak; three stepgrandchildren, Jason (Kelly) Grobe of Omaha, Nebraska, Preston (Lynette) Grobe of Hancock, and Kaycee (Scott) Hoffman of Denison; 23 great-grandchildren, Isaiah Kearns, Ethan Kearns, Eva Kearns, Max Siglin, Sam Siglin, Hope Siglin, Katie Kearns, Micah Kearns, Tyson Smith, Cadem Smith, Emily Matzen, Kaitlyn Prior, Jaxon Prior, Chandler Grobe, Kelson Grobe, Jaelyn Grobe, Danikah Grobe, Preslyn Grobe, Raydden Grobe, Mallory Hoffman, Jackson Hoffman, Benjamin Hoffman, and Chloe Hoffman; and one brother, Jerry (Diane) Kearns of Keokuk.

      He was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Katy Kearns; three brothers, Gary Kearns, Virgil Kearns, and William A. Kearns; andf two sisters, Helen Schuster, and Donna Jean Kearns.

  • Sources 
    1. [S48] 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627;), Year: 1940; Census Place: Wyaconda, Clark, Missouri; Roll: T627_2096; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 23-20.
      Record for Donald Kearns

    2. [S776] U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2011;), Issue State: Iowa; Issue Date: Before 1951.
      Record for Donald R. Kearns

    3. [S112] Web: Missouri, Find A Grave Index, 1812-2012, Ancestry.com, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi: accessed 18 January 2013.Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi;).
      Record for Donald Richard Kearns

    4. [S779] U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-2015, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;), Newspaper: Daily Gate City; Publication Date: 15 12 2010; Publication Place: Keokuk, IA, USA.
      Record for Donald Richard Kearns

    5. [S780] Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-Current, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;).
      Record for Donald Richard Kearns


This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding ©, v. 12.0, written by Darrin Lythgoe 2001-2025.

Maintained by Jennifer Clark.