Donald J. Gaston

Family will be present to greet family and friends at the funeral home Tuesday evening.

Donald Joseph Gaston (90) was born June 22, 1925 at the Gaston homestead east of Hebron, NE to Joseph Roscoe and Bessie Marguerite (Senteney) Gaston and went home to Jesus on October 15, 2015 at the Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home in Hebron. Donald was the second of 5 sons born to Joe and Bessie. Donald attended District #51 Thayer County country school and Hebron High School. Growing up on the farm his father and Grandpa Nels Gaston taught him the value of hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit where in addition to farming they had a saw mill , shelled corn, bailed hay and made sorghum for others. There were also several baseball games played in the pasture between the Gaston farmstead and the Cecil Fry farm. During one of those games, one of the Fry girls (Hazel) got tired of Don always being up to bat and tripped him as he rounded second base so he would get out! He must have taken notice of that feisty Fry girl as he became sweet on her, and then came World War II. He was drafted into the US Army on June 30, 1944 in Ft. Leavenworth, KS and served in the infantry in Africa and Italy. As they were going from Africa to Italy he was impressed by the sight of the Rock of Gibraltar. During battle in Italy he was injured and his unit went on while he was in the hospital. His Honorable Discharge was on October 28, 1945 in Leghorn Italy and re-enlisted so he could get back home. He was on a ship headed for Japan when the A bomb was dropped so his ship turned and returned to the United States. His final Honorable Discharge was December 3, 1946 in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. After World War II Donald returned to Hebron and he courted Hazel Darline Fry and they were united in marriage on June 3, 1948. To this union were born four children. Donald was baptized into the family of Christ on August 10, 1952 at the First Christian Church in Hebron, NE. When Don and Hazel were first married he did electrical and plumbing work for Miller Home Appliance in Hebron, NE and then went to work for the Burlington Northern Railroad in Lincoln, NE. They then returned back to the family farm to help his Dad until his brother returned from World War II. They then moved to Belvidere where Don trucked cattle and grain. Don went to work for J. Lynch Elevator Feed and Grain in Belvidere in 1953 as manager. Don eventually went on to work for Evans Grain Company before finishing up his career at the Farmers Co-op in Hardy. Donald retired from Hardy Coop as the General Manager in 1986 and he and Hazel enjoyed 17 years going to Arizona for the winters until health issues kept them in Nebraska. While wintering in Arizona Don took up golfing and got a hole in one! The family is grateful for the caregivers at the Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home that treated him like family for the last 6 ½ years. Donald was a lifetime member of the V.F. W., was on the Belvidere School Board, Commander of VFW 3 times, American Legion, Board Member of First Community Church, Board Member of Christian Church of Belvidere, Deacon at Christian Church in Apache Junction, AZ and Elder at Church of Christ, Superior, NE. Don loved his family and enjoyed being with his grandchildren. He was even known to be a tease now and then and he did not limit that to just his family! He loved camping, boating, fishing, traveling, round and square dancing, Husker football and getting together with family and friends where there was usually a spirited game of cards. Donald was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Bessie, brothers Harold, Dale, Lyle (Punjab) and Merlin, In-Laws Cecil and Grace Fry, Wanda Caswell, Bud & Letha Fry, Kenneth and Betty Krakow, Dwayne Anderson, Gordon and Alice Fry, Vivian Gaston, Rose Gaston, Max Miller and nephew Glen Miller. He will be forever remembered by his wife Hazel (Hebron, NE), Michael (wife Sharon) of Ames, IA, Pat of Omaha, NE, Kent (wife June) of Sioux Falls, SD, and Josie Harmacek (husband Gary) of Sioux Falls, SD, grandchildren Todd (wife Kim), Becki (husband John) Wise, Melissa Jones, Erick (wife Erin), Katie (husband Colton) Sheets, Christie (husband Mike) Roberts, Samuel (wife Alyssa), Taylor and Trevin Harmacek,19 great-grandchildren; In laws Violette Anderson of Colorado Springs, CO, Paula McGinnes and husband Logan of Hebron, NE, many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Don’s family is grateful for having shared in his life journey and knew he always had our best interest in mind and are thankful for the time he took with each one of us teaching us a strong work ethic, love of our country, nature, family and most importantly God. We thank him for his Christ-like example that allowed us to see and understand what is means to trust God and the need we all have to lay our sins of the flesh on the alter before our Lord. We take great comfort and peace in knowing he is with Jesus in heaven and we will see him again. Visitation will be held with the family present at the Price Funeral Home, 210 S. 3 ^rd , Hebron, NE on Tuesday, October 20 ^th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, October 21 ^st at 10:30 a.m. at the First Community Church in Hebron, Nebraska. Interment with military honors was in Rose Hill Cemetery, Hebron. These arrangements were conducted by Price-Urbauer-Ahrendts Funeral Homes of Hebron, Davenport, Deshler, Nebraska.