1925
Donavin
2014
Donavin Robertson
June 28, 1925 — March 26, 2014
Donavin Robertson, 88, of Ashby, died Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at the Ashby Living Center.
Donavin Gilman Robertson was born on June 28, 1925 at home in Eagle Lake Township, rural Ashby, Minnesota, the son of Henry and Tilla (Thompson) Robertson. He was baptized and confirmed in the Grue Lutheran Church. Don attended Country School District #114 in Eagle Lake Township, through the eighth grade then graduated from the Evansville High School in 1943, where he was active with music and choir. As a member of Grue Lutheran Church and later Trinity Lutheran Church, he held several offices and sang with the choir. Don was a member of Men for Missions since 1980, and belonged to the Minnesota Water Well Association.
Don married Vivian Lade on March 28, 1945. He farmed with his father in Eagle Lake Township, was employed with the Oliver Spath John Deere Dealership in Evansville, and then moved to western North Dakota to pursue work. In 1959, he moved to Santa Ana, California for one year where he was employed with a plumbing and well drilling outfit. Don returned to Minnesota and bought a farm in Pelican Lake Township and purchased a well drilling business. He married Helen Clemensen Catoe on June 7, 1966. As Robertson Well Drilling, they drilled city, home, farm, irrigation, state park and rest area wells in Minnesota. They also drilled for Native American Reservations in MN, Wisconsin and ND. Robertson Well Drilling continued under his leadership for more than 30 years. Don always stressed service to his customers.
Don enjoyed his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Dalton Tuesday morning bible study, city restaurant coffee buddies, traveling, woodworking, hunting, and was known to share a Norwegian joke or two.
At a very early age, he showed interest in missions and always wanted to go to the mission field.
As Don neared retirement, he and Helen began their volunteer mission trips to Columbia, South America, India, Ecuador, Guatemala, and over twenty-seven years to Haiti, providing clean, safe, drinking water for the people. Many doctors in these Third World countries informed Don that clean safe drinking water, rather than the contaminated water containing water borne diseases, helped improve the health of the people by up to 85%
He is survived by his wife Helen of 48 years, eight children; Allen Robertson of Elk River, Dean Robertson of Seattle, Washington, David (Judy) Robertson of Reeder, ND, Wayne Robertson of Chitna, Alaska, Charles (Carol Ann) Robertson of Bucyrus, ND, Randy (Candy) Catoe of Ashby, Dianne (friend, Bob) Kugler of Fergus Falls and Peggy (Rick) Adams of Ashby; nine grandchildren, Ryan, Jaci, Michael, Vivian, Alexis, Jamie, Bill, Tyler and Cain; great-grandchildren, Jasmin, D'Angelo, Audrey, Rowan, Caiden, Mason, Laynie, Riley and Dylan; and by numerous relatives, friends and neighbors.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, Vivian and infant daughter; his brother; a daughter-in-law; and several brothers and sisters-in-law.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Missionary Flights International.
Funeral Service: 11:00 AM, Monday, March 31, 2014 at Zion-Sarpsborg Lutheran Church in Dalton
Visitation: one hour prior to the service at the church
Clergy: Rev. Mark Johnson and Rev. Gordon Grage
Interment: Grue Lutheran Cemetery, Ashby
Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson Funeral Home of Ashby
Condolences: GlendeNilson.com
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Don's Memorial Folder
Donavin Gilman Robertson was born on June 28, 1925 at home in Eagle Lake Township, rural Ashby, Minnesota, the son of Henry and Tilla (Thompson) Robertson. He was baptized and confirmed in the Grue Lutheran Church. Don attended Country School District #114 in Eagle Lake Township, through the eighth grade then graduated from the Evansville High School in 1943, where he was active with music and choir. As a member of Grue Lutheran Church and later Trinity Lutheran Church, he held several offices and sang with the choir. Don was a member of Men for Missions since 1980, and belonged to the Minnesota Water Well Association.
Don married Vivian Lade on March 28, 1945. He farmed with his father in Eagle Lake Township, was employed with the Oliver Spath John Deere Dealership in Evansville, and then moved to western North Dakota to pursue work. In 1959, he moved to Santa Ana, California for one year where he was employed with a plumbing and well drilling outfit. Don returned to Minnesota and bought a farm in Pelican Lake Township and purchased a well drilling business. He married Helen Clemensen Catoe on June 7, 1966. As Robertson Well Drilling, they drilled city, home, farm, irrigation, state park and rest area wells in Minnesota. They also drilled for Native American Reservations in MN, Wisconsin and ND. Robertson Well Drilling continued under his leadership for more than 30 years. Don always stressed service to his customers.
Don enjoyed his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Dalton Tuesday morning bible study, city restaurant coffee buddies, traveling, woodworking, hunting, and was known to share a Norwegian joke or two.
At a very early age, he showed interest in missions and always wanted to go to the mission field.
As Don neared retirement, he and Helen began their volunteer mission trips to Columbia, South America, India, Ecuador, Guatemala, and over twenty-seven years to Haiti, providing clean, safe, drinking water for the people. Many doctors in these Third World countries informed Don that clean safe drinking water, rather than the contaminated water containing water borne diseases, helped improve the health of the people by up to 85%
He is survived by his wife Helen of 48 years, eight children; Allen Robertson of Elk River, Dean Robertson of Seattle, Washington, David (Judy) Robertson of Reeder, ND, Wayne Robertson of Chitna, Alaska, Charles (Carol Ann) Robertson of Bucyrus, ND, Randy (Candy) Catoe of Ashby, Dianne (friend, Bob) Kugler of Fergus Falls and Peggy (Rick) Adams of Ashby; nine grandchildren, Ryan, Jaci, Michael, Vivian, Alexis, Jamie, Bill, Tyler and Cain; great-grandchildren, Jasmin, D'Angelo, Audrey, Rowan, Caiden, Mason, Laynie, Riley and Dylan; and by numerous relatives, friends and neighbors.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, Vivian and infant daughter; his brother; a daughter-in-law; and several brothers and sisters-in-law.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Missionary Flights International.
Funeral Service: 11:00 AM, Monday, March 31, 2014 at Zion-Sarpsborg Lutheran Church in Dalton
Visitation: one hour prior to the service at the church
Clergy: Rev. Mark Johnson and Rev. Gordon Grage
Interment: Grue Lutheran Cemetery, Ashby
Funeral Home: Glende-Nilson Funeral Home of Ashby
Condolences: GlendeNilson.com
Don's Memorial Folder
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