Donald Jirak

Don Jirak age 76 of Lawler, Iowa died Monday, December 3, 2012, at his home surrounded by his family. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 7, 2012, at Assumption Catholic Church, Little Turkey with Rev. Nick March celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed by Don's family. Organist will be Janette Dietzenbach with Dan Silhacek, cantor. Lector for the service will be Taylor Rosenbaum. Mass servers will be Kody, Kyle and Kassidy Reicks. Eucharistic ministers are Marla Busta, Gerald Busta and Nancy Cuvelier. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Little Turkey with Jack Lynch, Myron Milbrnadt, Don Rosenbaum, Marshall Rosenbaum, Pat Lensing, Bob Moffitt, Gina Jirak and Larry Jirak as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Don's grandchildren, Janelle Jirak, Joe Jirak, Matthew Fisher, Clayton Jirak, Victoria Jirak, Darci Jirak, Ronnie Broxson, Natasha Moffit, Cory Broxson, Josie Broxson, and Jake Moffit. Friends may greet the family 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Friday, December, 7, 2012 at the church prior to the mass. Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in New Hampton are entrusted with services. Online condolences for Don's family may be left at hugebackfuneral.com Donald Stanley Jirak was born on April 19, 1936 in New Hampton, IA, the son of Stanley and Amy (Tompkins) Jirak. Don graduated from Waucoma High School in 1955. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1956, with an honorable discharge in 1958. With basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, most of his service was in Kirkland, WA. It was here he met his first wife, Elinor (Cerqui) Loftin. They married in January of 1958 and to this union six children were born, Stan, Bill, Gina, Sandy, Mona and Gary. Don took over the family farm (where he grew up) in 1958, raising cows, hogs, sheep and chickens. He began working at John Deere in Waterloo, IA in 1965, retiring in 1995, after 30 years. Don met Gloria (Vanderbilt) Judkins in 1985 and they married in April of 1988. Farming has been his passion his entire life. Spending time with his family, friends, in-laws and out-laws was always a priority. He liked fishing, hunting, traveling, playing cards and sharing war stories with his countless friends. He loved to dance, and the legend goes, that when the ladies waltzed with dad, their feet never hit the floor. He also enjoyed his trips to the boat, where he sometimes won and sometimes 'paid the light bill.' He would often say, 'That's the way it goes...first your money, then your clothes'. Our dad was known as the king of the one-liners. Don has been a member of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Little Turkey, IA for many years. He was also a member of the American Legion. Don is survived by his wife, Gloria; three sons, Stan (Kathy) Jirak of Monroe, WA, Bill Jirak of George, Washington and Gary (Anne) Jirak of Prescott, AZ; three daughters, Gina Jirak of Puyallup, WA, Sandy (Dave) Jirak of Bellevue, WA and Mona (Bob) Jirak of Puyallup, WA; two step-daughters, Gail (Dave) Broxson of Guttenburg, IA, Gina Judkins of Dyersville, IA; eleven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one sister, Marlene (Dick) Sherden of Rochester, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents; one uncle, Verner Tompkins; one step-son, Ron Judkins