Del Coleman

DEL COLEMAN was born on October 5, 1942 in Iowa City, Iowa. He was raised in Sioux City, Iowa by his mother and grandmother. In 1955, he moved to Boys Town, near Omaha, Nebraska, where he attended school and graduated in 1961. On June 15, 1961, he entered the U.S. Navy and served in Japan and Spain until his discharge from the service on January 7, 1965. The following day, January 8, 1965, he reenlisted in the navy. This time he served in South Vietnam. While serving there, he transferred to the Corpsman in the U.S. Marines. After his discharge on February 26, 1968, he moved to Sioux City, Iowa. On May 24, 1969, he was united in marriage to Donna Irwin at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Sioux City. Following their marriage, they lived in South Sioux City, Nebraska where Del worked for Pepsi and then Iowa Beef Producers. When they moved into Sioux City in 1971, Del enrolled in Western Iowa Tech for Police Science. After completing this course, he worked as a police officer in Correctionville, Iowa, a jailer in Dakota City, Nebraska, and then a police officer in Onawa, Iowa. In January, 1975, they moved to Pipestone, Minnesota where Del was employed by the Pipestone Police Department until 1985 when he retired because of a back injury. At that time, he taught defensive driving courses at the Vocational Technical College in Pipestone. He was later employed by the State of Minnesota to teach defensive driving courses in various towns in southwest Minnesota. He completed college courses both in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Marshall, Minnesota; and he attended a school in San Antonio, Texas to become a Certified Lay Speaker for the United Methodist Church. In 1992, he became a local pastor and served churches in Ceylon and East Chain, Minnesota. He later served the United Methodist Church in Ruthton and Verdi, Minnesota. On Tuesday, April 9, 2013, Del died unexpectedly at the Pipestone County Medical Center at the age of 70 years, six months and four days.

Del was a member of Peace United Methodist Church in Pipestone, Minnesota. He was also a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 and the VFW Post 3814. He served as Post Commander for both organizations, and he was also the District Chaplain for both of them. He was a member of the 40/8, the Military Order of the Cooties, the Lions Club, and the Shriners. He enjoyed working with wood as well as fishing. For the past few years, he kept himself busy doing craft work at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, making crafts for Christmas presents for the veterans.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Donna Coleman of Pipestone, Minnesota; his two daughters, Kimberly Steele and her husband Wayne of Verdi, Minnesota, and Kristie Lindquist and her husband Jason of Pipestone, Minnesota; and seven grandchildren, Brad, Brett, Brittani, Brianna, Sydney, Keagan and Grayson. He is preceded in death by his mother; his grandmother; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.