Donald Richard Menken

Donald Richard Menken, 83, of Indianola, Iowa, died suddenly of cardiac arrest on February 18, 2025. He was born to John Everett and Lela Marie (Smith) Menken on January 4, 1942. He graduated from Greene, Iowa, High School in 1959 and attended Iowa State Teachers' College, presently UNI, where he met and married Donna Butler, the mother of his children, Deanne and Dennis, in 1961. He married Joan Wangen in 1980. In 1998, he married Marie Anderson. The two were married until Marie's death on February 10, 2025.
Raised on the family farm in Butler County, Iowa, Don was not averse to hard work. After an initial few years working as an agent for Lutheran Brotherhood, he began his long career as the Director of Parks for Clayton County based in Osborne, Iowa. He developed the Osborne Center to include native plants and animals of the region, including bison. In the bicentennial year of 1976, the first bison calf was born in Iowa in decades. Don named her "Nickel." After, he good-naturedly allowed close friends and family to bestow him the nickname "Chip." Don started the annual Fall Heritage Days Festival in the park. His most notable accomplishment was bringing an Iowa Welcome Center to Osborne and having the Motor Mill Project as part of the County Park System. Don finished his working years at Winterset, Iowa, as City Development Director before he retired with Marie to The Village in Indianola.
Don enjoyed living at The Village, getting involved with lining the streets with flags on major holidays and, especially, emceeing the Good Shepherd Fundraising soup suppers. He was also known to wear a leprechaun costume for St Patrick's Day and play Santa at Christmas. Don was active, while he lived in Elkader, with the JayCees and became a state representative in that group. He was also an active member of the Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards and kept up with retired members across Iowa. Don was active in his church, wherever he lived, and upon his death belonged to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Indianola, Iowa.
He is survived by his children, Deanne (Gene) Sharp and Dennis (Melanie) Menken; and his two beloved grandsons, John (Desiree) and Jacob; siblings, Gordon (Shirley) Menken, Ev (Bob) Fink, Marty (Karen) Menken, and Doug (Val) Menken; and an extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews and their children. He is preceded in death by wife, Marie; his parents; siblings, Jim, Francis, and Carolyn; and nephew, Jared.
Private inurnment of cremains will be held at a later date in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Greene, Iowa. A memorial service for Don will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the Heritage Room at The Village in Indianola. Please consider memorials directed to the Good Shepherd Fund at The Village or the Motor Mill Foundation of the Clayton County Conservation Board.