Funeral services for Donald LeRoy Gooden, 83, of Emmons, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Mansfield Lutheran Church. The Rev. Don Rose will officiate. Interment will be at the Mansfield Township Cemetery with military honors accorded by the Emmons American Legion. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral home and one hour prior to the services at the church. To sign the guest book, goto www.bayviewfuneral.com

Donald died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester of a heart attack.

Donald LeRoy Gooden was born Feb. 15, 1924, on a farm near Silver City in Mills County, Iowa, to (Lily) Esther (McGill) and Ollie Louis Gooden. He moved to Freeborn County with his family at age 2. Don attended country schools in the area and graduated from Alden High School in 1942. While there he excelled in track competing in high jump, broad jump, and holding the record in the half mile for several years. He served in the Navy during World War II.

Don wed Mescal Halvorsen on Nov. 14, 1944. The Rev. A. H. Oerke performed the ceremony at Emmons Lutheran parsonage. After Don&8217;s honorable discharge from the Navy, the young family moved to the farm on 640th Avenue, then known as &8220;Wall Street,&8221; Don served on the District 84 school board until the school was closed and as president of Freeborn County Farmers&8217; Union for many years. He farmed all his life and for several years made tillage wheels and &8220;mini skirts&8221; which he had designed for use on corn planters at Valley Mfg. Co. which he formed and owned.

Don is survived by his wife, Mescal; six children: Sharyl Hawker, Jackie (Allan) Dahl, Lonna (Joe) VanHorn, Larry (Leslea) Gooden, Shannon (Brian Butenbach) Albertson and Melanie (John Szymanowski) Gooden; 14 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; four step great-grandchildren; sister, Betty (Harland) Fosness; brothers and sisters-in-law, Leo &8220;Bud&8221; (Alma) Halvorsen, Paul (Darlene) Halvorsen, Rodney ( Barbara) Halvorsen, Ingri (Russell) Krech, Ed Woynowskie, Marian Gooden and Jeanette Gooden.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ollie (Bo), Robert and Orville; sisters and brothers-in-law, Roger Peterson, Rose Halvorsen, Doris Woynowskie and Maxine Halvorsen; and grandsons, Daniel Hawker and Trevor Albertson.