Obituary - Donald A. Mahlum

Donald A. Mahlum, 91, passed away of natural causes on Sept. 15, 2015, at Timber Creek Village.

Cremation has taken place, and memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, at Timber Creek Village.

His family has requested that memorial donations be made in Donald's name to the Montana Chapter of the American Lung Association, 936 S. 2nd St. W., Missoula, MT  59801; Rez Q Dogs, P.O. Box 83, Dodson, MT  59524; or to the charity of the donor's choice.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.  

Please visit Don's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for his family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Don was born on Aug. 17, 1924, in Excelsior, Minnesota, to Ingwald and Dorothy (Davies) Mahlum. His mother passed away while he was an infant, and his father died when he was 4, so Don was raised by a variety of family members, including Robert and Marjorie "Dad and Mom" Hallberg, who eventually became his guardians. As a child, Don loved to play at Minnehaha Falls and Lake Nokomis.

When he was 17, Don joined the U.S. Navy and served on active duty throughout the war. He remained in the Naval Reserve into the 1960s and served as a correspondent for the Naval Reserve Media.

He worked at many jobs throughout the years, including construction, sales, and broadcasting, finally returning to college to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He taught in Deer Lodge, Belgrade and at North Thurston in Lacey, Washington.

Don was always active in his community. He was involved in the Kiwanis, Elks and Good Sam's Club, a deacon in his church, volunteered at Northern Montana Hospital for many years and worked with the Heritage Center and the Clack Museum. Don and Chris loved sailing the Puget Sound, and Don was proud of being Commodore of the Olympia Yacht Club.

Many years ago, Don married his first wife, Pearl, and they later divorced.  He married Christean Ratliff in 1962, and they remained together until her death in 2011.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Christean; his parents, Ingwald and Dorothy Mahlum; and an infant son.

Don is survived by his daughters, Susie (Randy) Ussery, Cyndi (David) Leeds and Sally (Floyd) Fuhrman; his grandchildren, Kyle (Liz) Leeds, Andrea (Jeff) Knight, Joel (Laura) Fuhrman, Alison Barnard and Craig Reed; and his great-grandchildren, Carly Reed, Cadyn Reed, Lukas Knight, Asher Knight, Ethan Knight, Owen Fuhrman, Olivia Fuhrman and Tristin Barnard.