Donald Leroy Calkins

Memorial Services for Donald L. Calkins will be held on Friday, September 29, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Alma, Nebraska with Reverend Gale Dorn officiating. A family inurnment will be held at the Alma Cemetery, at a later date.

Donald LeRoy Calkins, 88 years of age, of Alma, died on Thursday, September 21, 2017 at Bethany Home in Minden, Nebraska. Don was born December 10, 1928 in Alma, the youngest of four children born to Charlie and Addie (Davis) Calkins. He attended and graduated from Alma High School, with the class of 1945. Following graduation, Don attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for one year and played football for Coach George Clark, at the young age of 16.

On February 7, 1946, Don entered into active service at the Great Lakes, Illinois, as a Seaman First Class and was stationed on the USS PRAIRIE. He served in China and received the World War II Victory Medal. Don was honorably discharged at San Francisco, California on December 12, 1947.

On October 2, 1949, Don was united in marriage to Mildred Haeker at the Peace Lutheran Church in Alma. The couple made their home in Alma, where Don owned and operated the Conoco Station and the fertilizer plant and later, the Harlan County Title and Abstract Company. Don also worked as a Real Estate Broker.

He enjoyed hunting, cooking, airplanes, traveling and his children and grandchildren. During his travels, Don visited twenty-one countries. He was community minded and served as: Harlan County Supervisor from 1991 to 2007; was a founding member and actively served in Rotary for over 30 years; was the Board Chairman of the Alma Housing Authority from 1965 to 2015; was a member of the Alma Development Corporation; served as a Master Mason for 60 years; and worked on many other community projects. Don was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church and served as treasurer, for many years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; Charlie and Addie Calkins; brothers and sister; Jerry Calkins; Merlin Calkins and Marge Richman.

Don leaves to celebrate his life; his wife, Mildred Calkins of Alma; his children: daughter, Raetha (Calkins) Nelsen and her husband, John of Alma; son, Richard Calkins and his wife, Dianne of Alma; five grandchildren: Patrick Calkins and his wife, Jennifer of Alma; Sophie Smith of Omaha, Nebraska; and Evie Smith of Alma; Shauna Boseck of Lincoln; and Ryan McGinty and his wife, Raquel of Sausalito, California; four step-grandchildren: Joanna (Nelsen) Clark and her husband, Justin of Alma; Jake Nelsen and his wife, Trista of Fort Collins, Colorado; Sammy (Nelsen) Babcock and her husband, Travis of Fort Collins; and JC Nelsen of Alma; along with eight great-grandchildren, other relatives and many friends.

Memorial Book Signing will be held on Thursday, September 28, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in Don's honor and kindly suggested to the new Harlan County Medical Clinic Project.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Alma is in charge of the arrangements.