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Donald Bear, 82, of Mount Ayr died May 16, 2015, at Mount Ayr Health Care Center.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, May 21, at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home, 205 W. Monroe St., Mount Ayr. The Rev. Mike Maddy will officiate. Burial will be in Tingley Cemetery. Full military rites at the cemetery will be conducted by the U.S. Air Force Funeral Honors Unit from Offutt A.F.B. in Omaha. Open visitation will be noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established in his name to be decided later. Online condolences may be left at www.watsonarmstrongfh.com.
Donald Gene Bear, son of Eula (Brockway) and Glenn Bear, was born Oct. 13, 1932, at home in Monroe Township, Ringgold County.
Don graduated from high school in Archie, Mo., in 1950. Shortly after, he returned to Ringgold County and helped his father farm.
On Aug. 10, 1956, Don married Darlene M. Giles in Lamoni.
Don began a long career with the United States Air Force. He served for 26 years. He was stationed in various Air Bases in the United States, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and Philippines.
After retiring from the Air Force in 1978, the family moved to Ringgold County where Don lived the remainder of his life. Don worked 20-plus years at the Ringgold County Law Enforcement Center as a dispatcher and jailor.
Don is survived by his wife Darlene Bear of Mount Ayr; children, Jacque (Art) Davis of Weeping Water, Neb., Dan (So Un) Bear of Lancaster, Calif., and Jodi Angus of Mount Ayr; grandchildren, Andrew (Tonya) Davis, Matthew (Jessica) Davis, Benjamin (Angela Gee) Davis, Amber (Rob) (Bear) Mitchell, Katie, Kristy and Kassidy Bear, Lucas (Amanda) Angus, Jennifer (Amie) Angus and Austin Angus; great-grandchildren, Logan Mitchell and Lewis and Brooklyn Angus; brother Ted Bear of Ellston; and sisters, Beverly Peterman of Nevada, Mo., and Jean Schriever of Minnesota.
Don was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Floyd and Nova Giles; granddaughter Kimberly Bear; sister-in-law Bryce Bear; and sisters, Shirley Chase, Karen Baker and Betty Long.