DONALD MESSERLY
Donald Messerly
DUNCOMBE — Donald Messerly, 79, of Duncombe, died Tuesday, September 10, 2019, at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City. Funeral services will be held 4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 15, 2019, at Foster Funeral & Cremation Center. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until service time on Sunday at the funeral home. Burial with Military Honors will take place Monday, September 16th at 5:00 p.m., at the Newark Cemetery northwest of Vincent.
Donald Floyd Messerly was born to Floyd and Winifred (Scully) Messerly on August 8, 1940, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Dodge. He attended Corpus Christi school until the 3rd grade when the family moved to Vincent in 1949. He then attended country school and Vincent school. He graduated from Eagle Grove High School in 1959, where he was the class President. Don was Co-Captain of the football team, Captain of the wrestling team and a member of the Drake Relays and State Mile Medley teams (1st place). He went on to attend University of Iowa on a wrestling scholarship. In 1960, he began his railroad career which lasted for 41 ¢ years minus two years that he served in the United Stated Army during the Vietnam era. On May 19, 1973 Don married Rose Catherine Slattery. They were married for 43 years and have one daughter, Roseann who gave them two beautiful granddaughters, Jesslyn and Keyara.
He is survived by his daughter, Rosie and granddaughters, Jesslyn and Keyara, along with brother, Richard (Diane) Messerly of Eagle Grove; sister, WynAnn (Dick) Tighe of Webster City; brother-in-law, George (Vic) Slattery of Mason City and many extended family.
Don was preceded in death by his wife, Rose; his parents; infant sister, Michelle and a niece and two nephews.
He was a member of the American Legion Post #491, the VFW Post #1856 and an avid Hawkeye fan. Don’s philosophy was “There’s no one better than you, but you are no better than anyone else.”