Donald 'Don' Besonen

Donald ""Don"" C. Besonen, age 86 of Litchfield, MN, died on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at the Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield, MN. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday November 10, 2014 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Visitation will be held from 4-6 PM on Sunday at Zion Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Monday. Interment will be held at the Lake Ripley Cemetery in Litchfield, MN. Military Honors will be provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. Donald C. Besonen, the son of John and Ida (Johnson) Besonen, was born on February 27, 1928 in Kingston Township, MN. He graduated from Litchfield High School in 1946 and was drafted into the Army, where he served in Korea from 1951 to 1953. He continued his education and graduated from Dunwoody with an Electrician Degree. He was united in marriage to Elaine Lundeen in South Haven on December 22, 1956. Don was an assistant engineer for the Meeker County Highway Department, where he drafted and inspected bridges and supervised building sites. He was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church where he ushered and was active on the church boards and council. He was also a long time member of the American Legion. Don was a talented handyman and helped remodel and rewire his relatives homes, fix roofs and pour concrete. He enjoyed woodworking and built many toys, cabinets and furniture for his family. He also enjoyed spending time at the lake home on Lake Francis with his family. He is survived by his wife Elaine of Litchfield, MN; children Bob (Catherine) Besonen of Apple Valley, MN, Ron (Laurie) Besonen of Colorado Springs, CO and Tom (Katie) Besonen of Shoreview, MN; 8 grandchildren Mark, Karen, David, Hannah, Matthew, Eric, Lauryn and John; brothers James (Lorraine) Besonen of Minnetonka, MN and John (Carol) Besonen of Tucson, AZ; a sister Donna Denny of Alexandria, VA; sister-in-laws Joan Besonen of Fayetteville, AR and Ethel Besonen of Madison, MN; and many nieces, nephews and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents John and Ida; brothers Philip and Daniel; and brother-in-law Paul.Previous Events Visitation Sunday, November 9, 2014 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Zion Lutheran Church 504 North Gilman Avenue Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Monday, November 10, 2014 11:00 AM Zion Lutheran Church 504 North Gilman Avenue Litchfield, MN 55355