Obituary -- Donald Pace 1923-2020

Private Funeral Services for Donald W. Pace will be held at a later date. Visitation for Donald was held Wednesday, April 1, 2020 from 12 PM to 7 PM at Cummings Family Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to St. Judes Children's Hospital in Donald's name. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.cummingsfamilyfuneralhome.com under Obituaries.

Donald W Pace was born on July 5, 1923, the youngest child of Dannie and Effie (Drennen) Pace, passed away on March 27, 2020 at his home in Bedford, Iowa.

He married Signe Esther Anderson on September 15, 1948 in Lenox, Iowa. To this union 9 children were born, enough for a ball team.

He is preceded in death by his wife, his parents, all 8 of his siblings: Lonnie Pace, Goldie (Ray) Gamel, Ona (Charles) Million, Vesta (Estel) Parks, Letha (Bill) Million, Dannie Pace, Joseph (Alta) Pace and Jeanette (Fay) Coverdell, a son and daughter-in-law, John and Connie Pace, a son-in-law, Lloyd Woods, a grandson, Timothy Pace, and 2 great-grandsons, Colton Lundy and Dalton Pasmore.

Left to cherish his memory are 8 of his children: Donald (Dorothy) Pace, Jr of Delta, Iowa, Shirley Woods of Hopkins, MO, Cindy Hamm of Clarinda, IA, Hilma Bedsworth of Sheldahl, IA, Richard (Ida) Pace of Clarinda, IA, Bruce (Lynette) Pace of Urbandale, IA, Thomas (Lisa) Pace of Clarinda, IA and Treva (Randy) Smyser of Sheridan, MO, 25 grand-children, 61 great-grandchildren, 2 nieces, Effie (Million) Crowley of Rush Center, KS and Dorothy (Pace) Rucker of Bedford, Iowa, Several great nieces, nephews and friends.

Don loved to hunt and tell stories of his years growing up in rural Bedford, Iowa on a farm that was 7 miles to Sheridan or 7 miles to Bedford. He played fast-pitch softball with and against 2 of his nephews, Wayne and Wilbur Pace, on a team called Cockelbur Ridge as a catcher. Don worked construction after leaving the farm and drove a cement mixer for Clarinda Coal and Concrete for several years before retiring.

In his later years he enjoyed taking rides out by where he grew up or almost anywhere in Taylor or Page Counties he could tell you a story about something that happened even making you stop in the middle of the road and back up so he could explain or show you something.

And he loved rock hunting from the comfort of the car “Whoa, Whoa, there is a rock” and he would get out and take a look at it, bringing several home for everyone who came by to see. He would also tell us to slow down when we were driving, so he could look for alligators.

He was a kind and loving father and “Learned” all of his kids (as well as several others) how to shoot and handle a gun and hunt.