Donald Louis Baade

Donald Louis Baade was born on June 1, 1933, on a farm near Walton. He was the youngest of five children—the only boy, with four older sisters—born to Louis Baade and Alma Retzlaff Baade. Don was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Walton and graduated from Bennett High School. From 1953-1955 he was stationed in Germany while serving in the United States Army. It was during his military service that Don developed a life-long love of travel and an appreciation for historic architecture and art. By taking advantage of leave time and a bit of extra cash earned selling his cigarette rations, Don was able to visit churches, museums and other major sites in Germany, Austria, Italy, England and France. Don began dating Charlotte Sears in April of 1957 and followed her to western Nebraska when she took her first teaching job in Grant to continue their courtship; they were married at University Lutheran Chapel on December 22 of that same year. In 1959 the couple moved to Ogallala where Don was employed by the Soil Conservation Service. Their daughter Colleen was born that year in October. In 1960, Don moved the family back to eastern Nebraska, to Wakefield, where he continued working for the SCS. Daughter Susan was born in December the following year. Don was always busy with multiple projects: home remodeling, planting and tending flower and vegetable gardens, driving a delivery route for the local greenhouse in the summertime, building bird houses for purple martins. A lover of classical music, Don took his family to symphony and choral concerts. The girls took piano lessons and learned the names of birds and flowers at his encouragement. Most of all, Don took his family to church every Sunday to sing hymns and to listen to God’s word. In 1972, Don, Charlotte, Colleen and Sue moved to an acreage just outside South Sioux City. Don continued to work for the SCS and later for the Land Management office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The dilapidated house and neglected acreage property served once again as a project for extensive landscaping and remodeling. Living in the country meant raising a whole menagerie: ducks, turkeys, geese, a pony, sheep, Jersey cows that the girls showed in 4-H, and most famously, a goat who gave birth to quadruplets. Over the years, family vacations usually involved traveling west to camp and visit national parks. The family took an international trip in 1976 when Don and Charlotte served as chaperones for the high school trip to Spain, which included a stop in London. When the girls went off to college, Don and Charlotte continued to travel, making trips to Canada and Europe. Early retirement brought a move across the river to Sioux City, Iowa, and new efforts at yard beautification and house remodeling on another property that required lots of TLC. In the coming years, Don and Charlotte welcomed sons-in-law Roger and Jon into the family and were thrilled to become the grandparents of Jon and Sue’s three children: Catherine, Jacob and Anna. Throughout his life, Don was a supportive father and faithful husband, remaining true to his vows “to have and to hold…for better, for worse…in sickness and in health.” Don was parted from Charlotte when at age 63, after a long series of illnesses, she was called to her rest on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1999. Don met Myrna on a website and later were married August 5, 2000. At this time, Don’s family grew with the addition of two stepchildren, Rod and Tammy, and their spouses, also five grandchildren, and later, two great grandchildren. Don and Myrna loved to travel and camp, and they would drive their RV to Texas every winter. They were winter Texans. Don loved gardening. He could name every flower and grass and weed. He learned most of that working for the soil conservation service. He also had a passion for music, especially classical music. He could name any song on the classical music channel. Don also had a collection of Indian artifacts. He also had a collection of 300 different antique barbed wire. Don loved his red Corvair. He had a gentle, quiet spirit, and a dry sense of humor. One of Don’s greatest joys was his family and playing with his grandchildren. His best friends were his dog, Lady, and his cat, Scooter. Don was always a gentleman, even at the end. Don was preceded in death by his first wife, Charlotte Sears Baade, parents, Louis Baade and Alma Retzlaff Baade, sisters, Noreen Benjamin, Emily Bellinghiere, Velma Thompson, and Claire Hohnstein, stepson, Rodney Hartwig, and son-in-law, Jon Pearson. He is survived by wife Myrna Peters Baade, daughters Colleen Baade and her husband Roger Hochstetler, daughter Sue Pearson, grandchildren, Catherine Pearson, Jacob Pearson, and Anna Pearson. Stepdaughter, Tammy (Bob) Narducci, step grandchildren Lauren Narducci, Ryan (Minna) Narducci, Brandon Narducci, Nicholas (Erika) Hartwig (Asher & Isla) and Dustin Hartwig. Family Suggests Memorials to The Lutheran Hour.

Donald Louis Baade

June 6, 1933 - December 19, 2025