Donald Dean Vahle, son of George & Gertrude (Russell) Vahle, was born January 1, 1935 in Orleans, Nebraska and died August 30, 2011 at the Phillips County Hospital in Phillipsburg, Kansas at the age of 76.

As a boy, Don attended country schools in rural District #26, Spring Brooke and rural Nebraska District #54, finishing his grade school and high school education in Long Island, Kansas.

After graduation, Don served two years in the United States Marine Corp and was honorably discharged on January 30, 1958. He returned home and began working for the Long Island Grain Co., where he was employed for 18 years.

On August 3, 1958, Don was united in marriage to Beulah Fay Courtain in Stamford, Nebraska. This union was blessed with the birth of three daughters: Jonah Kay, LaDonna Jean and Linette Ann.

After leaving Long Island Grain, Don went to work for the Phillips County Solid Waste Department. He retired as a Supervisor after 21 years of service. But that wasn't really the end of his working career; he was later hired by Novus Glass and worked for seven more years after his so-called "retirement."

In his spare time, Don enjoyed carpentry work (especially building birdhouses), coon hunting, and helping his kids and grandkids with projects of various kinds. He also did all of his own mechanic work.

Don was a member of the Long Island United Methodist Church and past member of the Roy C. Goodrich American Legion Post #304 in Long Island.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Jonah Kay; his granddaughter, Maranda Lynn Kester; his brother & sister-in-law, Darrell and Barbara Vahle; five brothers-in-law: John Nyland, Virgil Anderson, Loyd Fruhling, and Herbert & Fred Courtain; and his niece, Sandra Jean Fruhling.

Survivors include his wife, Beulah, of the home in Long Island; his daughters, LaDonna Hilburn & husband, Kevin, and Linette Vahle & husband, Ted Aregi, all of Long Island; his brother, George Vahle & wife, Janice, of Phillipsburg, KS; his sisters, Jean Nyland of Prairie View, KS, Joanne Fruhling of Wakeeney, KS and Marilyn Anderson of Kearney, NE; 12 grandchildren: Randal, Kacey, Tressie, Darwin, Kolton, Dakota, Chyanne, Cody, Kara, Nathan, Whitney and honorary grandson, Zach; 12 great-grandchildren: Chelsie, Ashley, MaKayla, Lexi, Tyler, Hayleigh, Briley, Harley, Sierra, Taylor, Tanner and Kinley; and his sister-in-law, Hazel Gimeson & her husband, Merle, of Grant, NE.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Sept. 2, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in the Long Island United Methodist Church, Long Island, with Pastor Dean Gilbert officiating. Burial will follow in the Long Island Cemetery with military honors by the United States Marine Corp.

Visitation will be Thursday from noon – 9 p.m. at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel in Phillipsburg, with the family receiving friends from 7 – 8 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be given to American Red Cross or St. Jude Children's Hospital.