Class of 1938 – Don McDonald
The neighbors’ Favorite Farmer
By Sandy Purcell
Don McDonald was born to Standish and Amanda McDonald on Oct. 4, 1920 in a house on Bingham Ave. He has lived in that house for most of his life and plans to return there after his stay at the Newaygo Medical Care Facility.
He has two living sisters, Ruth Ellis and Helen Slaughter. They both live in the area and visit him every week.
Don went to Kimball Lake Elementary School and went on to graduate from Fremont High School. After graduation, he did farm work for neighboring farmers, picking apples, planting and other jobs. Then he entered the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He was a radio operator in the Pacific. After four years in the Air Force, he came back home and went to work at Consumer’s Power as a lineman for a year or so, until he got a job at General Motors in Grand Rapids, where he worked 30 years until retirement. The story is that he stayed at the YMCA during the week in Grand Rapids and came home on weekends. He never did get married.
Don started getting sick shortly after he retired. He came to the Newaygo Medical Care Facility with pneumonia in February of this year and says that he plans to return home again. He is presently working diligently with the physical therapy staff to make that happen. I see him every morning, peddling that bike and working on other equipment. He’s going to do it. Don is a pleasure to know and a favorite farmer with everybody in our neighborhood.
Newaygo Medical Care Facility volunteer Sandy Purcell interviews and writes about the residents she meets at the Facility.
6/30/2010 Times Indicator Article (p. 6)
Times Indicator