Don Mitteness

Donald Lewis Mitteness was born June 23, 1930, at the Benson Hospital in Benson, Minnesota, to Morris and Maria (Radischat) Mitteness. He was baptized by Rev. Jergenson at the Swift Falls Lutheran Church and confirmed in May of 1945 by Rev. Berg at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Benson. Don grew up on his parents' farm in Camp Lake Township. He went to grade school at District 24, Kildare Township, DeGraff, Minnesota and graduated from Benson High School with the class of 1948. He attended the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis and then farmed with his Dad and brothers for several years. On February 8, 1953, Don was united in marriage to Lois Mumm at St. John's Lutheran Church in Hancock by Rev. H.C. Duehlmeier. They lived on a farm north of DeGraff until 1957, when Don and Lois purchased a farm east of Benson and lived there until 1984. They then moved to Crystal, Minnesota and managed rental properties for 9 years. They managed properties in Crystal, Coon Rapids, Rockford, Chaska, and Spring Park on Lake Minnetonka. In 1993, they resigned as Property Managers and spent the summer working in Yellowstone Park before returning to Crystal, where they resided for 4 more years. During those years, Don worked as a Host at Red Lobster Restaurant in Golden Valley and at the Edinburgh Golf Club in Brooklyn Park. He also worked as a bellman, concierge and doorman at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis and drove limousine for 3 ½ years for Henderson Limousine Service. Don moved, with his wife Lois, back to Benson in 1997. He worked at the Benson Golf Club as a groundskeeper from 1997 - 2010. He delivered meals for Prairie 5 to DeGraff, Murdock, and Kerkhoven from 2006 - 2011, and also assisted at Zniewski Funeral Home for several years. Don was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Benson and former member of Swift Falls Lutheran Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, and Lutheran Church of the Living Christ in Chanhassen. He served as Swift County Republican Chairman and was active in the Republican Party for many years. Don was an active member of the Swift County Farm Bureau while he farmed; the Benson Jaycees; the Busy Go Getters 4-H Club as a youth and as an adult leader when his children were in 4-H; Swift County Rural Youth; and held offices and sang in the choir in the churches to which he belonged in Benson, Robbinsdale and Chanhassen. He served on the Board of Directors of Project Turnabout in Granite Falls for 29 years and was active in AA for 34 years in Benson and New Hope. Don loved sports, especially baseball and football which he played, and also followed wrestling when his son and grandsons were in the program. He umpired Cornbelt League baseball, taught Sunday school, and served on the Board of Directors of MN No. Dist. LCMS as a Lay Member for a number of years. As Don battled Alzheimer's, he entered the Golden Living Center - Meadow Lane in Benson on May 9, 2014 and the Bethesda Pleasant View Memory Care Center on September 30, 2014. Don passed away Saturday, April 4, 2015, at Bethesda Care Center in Willmar. He had attained 84 years, 9 months, and 11 days of age. Don is survived by his wife, Lois Mitteness; children: Faye Witt of Duluth, Cynthia (John) Carruth of Danvers, Joann (Kenneth) Ellsworth of Stanchfield, Scott (Jenell) Mitteness of Kerkhoven, Pamela (Howard) Mansfield of Kerkhoven, and Daniel (Annie) Mitteness of Benson; 19 grandchildren: Tom Witt, Hailey (Jeff) Golds, Peter (Amanda) Carruth, Amy (Dan) Fremling, Paul (Ellen) Carruth, Christopher (Samantha) Carruth, Sam Carruth, Charles and Andrew Ellsworth, Jim (Angie) Mitteness, Justin (Kali) Mitteness, Kristy (Cliff) Nystrom, Kayla Mitteness, Fred, Lewis and Elizabeth Mansfield, and Landon, Abbie and Allie Mitteness; 13 great-grandchildren: Addi, Nora and Lucas Mitteness, Jack and Emily Mitteness, Corbin and Shep Nystrom, Olivia and Greta Carruth, Eli and Isaac Carruth, Ava Fremling, and Brayden Carruth; siblings: Morris (Ann) Mitteness of Corvallis, MT, Donna (Bill) Preece of New Richmond, WI, Carole Pramagiorre of New York, and David Mitteness of Benson; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Morris and Maria Mitteness; brothers: Gerhard, Raymond, Jim, and Milton Mitteness; sisters, Margaret Kolstad and Betty Petersen; grandparents, Kristian and Gjertrud Mitteness and Gustav and Minna Radischat, step-grandfather, August Baltruschat; and granddaughter, Katie Ellsworth.