Dana R. Peck Jr.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - After a lengthy illness, Dana R Peck Jr., 85, of 4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, was called home to be with Our Lord on Tuesday (Nov. 25, 2008) at the V.A. Medical Center, in St. Cloud.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 714 N. Adams Ave., Mason City, with Monsignor Joseph Slepicka officiating. Burial will be at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City, with full military honors conducting by member of the Mason City Veterans Memorial Association.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City, with a rosary being said at 6 p.m., followed by a scriptural wake service.
He was born in Alexandria, Ind., on July 22, 1923, to Dana R. Peck Sr. and his wife, Vera (Landstorfer) Peck. After graduating from Anderson High School in Anderson, Ind., he met the love of his life, his future wife, Mary Ellen Zirklebach. They married on Oct. 25. 1944. Dana left for the Army not long after that. He saw his first son when he was seven months old.
Dana worked for NCR for more than 40 years as a salesman in Rockford, Ill., St. Paul, Minn., and finally in Mason City. He traveled to most of the counties in Iowa selling adding machines, cash registers and later computers to banks and county seats. He received several awards and trips for outstanding sales from NCR. Mary Ellen always accompanied him on these trips around the United States and Mexico. They had an old fashioned marriage, Mary stayed home with the kids while Dana was traveling for NCR.
To this union three children were born, Charles Edward, Michael Lee and Julia Ann. They were also blessed with their grandchildren, Greg, Sharyl, Melissa and Elizabeth; great-grandchildren, Allison, Jessica, Alexander, Zakary, Kaydence and baby Olivia. And we can't forget the four-legged grandkids, Jack, Toby, August, Ellie, Bo, Babe and his sitting and sleeping companion, Binx.
Dana is survived by his son, Michael, of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughter, Julia and her husband, John Sullivan, of Omaha, Neb.; brother, Richard Peck and his wife, Iva, of Plano, Texas; sister-in-law, Annette Peck of San Diego, Calif.; brother-in-law, Asa Green of Livingston, Ala.; daughter-in-law, Dianne Peck of St. Paul, Minn.; all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Several nieces and nephews and his sisters-in-law, Dorothy Ramsey and Pauline Day; brother-in-law, Jim Zirklebach, all of Anderson, Ind.; and special friend, Jean Crowell and her family of Mason City.
The family wishes to thank the loving staff at the V.A. Medical Center in St. Cloud who cared for Dana this past year. Also to those that called, e-mailed, sent cards or came to see him during the years he spent with Julie and her family in Brainerd, Minn., the family thanks you for your love and friendship. Dana always said he was rich in friendship!
Preceding him in death were his parents, his wife of 56 years, Mary Ellen; his son, Charles; and brother, John; and several relatives.
Everyone will miss the man who said little yet spoke so clearly.
Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 641-423-2372. www.colonialchapels.com