Donald G. Schieber

Donald Gene "Don" Schieber, 95, passed away during the early morning hours of Thursday, December 4, 2025, in Washington, Illinois, following a brief illness.
Don was born August 18,1930, in Morton, Illinois, the second of five boys born to Victor and Lourine (Giesel) Schieber. He graduated from Morton High School in 1948, and he loved to boast that he was the valedictorian of the second half of the class.
In 1951, Don was called to serve his country and was inducted into the Army. During his two years of service he was stationed in Korea, for which he received three awards-the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation-although Don never spoke about them to others.
Don married Wanda May Self on May 6, 1955. Together they built a house on Elm Street in Morton, Illinois, where they lived for nearly 60 years, and where they raised their three children, Scott, Jay, and Sandy. They enjoyed spending time with friends, be it the local ones they had known for a lifetime, or the ones they met and reconnected with at their yearly summer family vacations in Fox Springs, Missouri.
Don and Wanda loved spending time with family, especially their grandchildren, who knew Don as "Pawpaw." Although Don never got comfortable with texting, he enjoyed frequent cellphone calls with all of them. Don and Wanda also enjoyed sitting out on their back porch grilling out (Don's grilled buttered onion bloom wrapped in bacon was the best!), listening to and cheering on the Cubs and the Bears, and visiting with those who stopped by.
Except for his time in the Army, Don contentedly resided in Morton, Illinois, his entire life. As a young man he learned the flooring industry, and he later opened his own flooring business, Schieber Floor Covering in Morton, which successfully served the Central Illinois area for nearly 30 years.
Don was a Little League coach in Morton for several years, and a sponsor of many baseball teams in Morton as well as Macon, Georgia, where two of his grandsons played.
Don loved a cold beer, and it didn't matter if it was at home or at a local establishment, as long as it was shared with family or friends, or even a stranger, if that was who happened to be sitting next to him.
Don was a big fan of the Morton Pumpkin Festival. He often could be seen at the Sausage and Pancake Breakfast, enjoying time spent with his Uncle Harvey. And he liked to talk about one day winning the Largest Pumpkin Contest with a pumpkin grown in his vast garden behind his floor covering building.
Don had one of the few barns to be found within the heart of a neighborhood in Morton. It was here, in this precursor to today's man-cave, where he could be found, tinkering on the many unique items he had acquired, stoking the pot-bellied stove in the winter, or working on his stained glass projects. Anyone lucky enough to visit while he was in the barn, would learn about the many "treasures" stored there, while Don explained how he had assembled his collection over the years, using his professional-though somewhat eccentric--haggling skills to obtain an extra mug or jar, a few more logoed pens from local businesses, or maybe just an item he thought he might have a use for later.
In retirement, Don kept busy by riding his bicycle, either in the neighborhood or on the Rock Island Trail, continuing to craft his stained glass art, and puttering around in his barn. He also loved to garden, and regularly gave away the pickles and jams that he canned from his bountiful crops. Don was known by his family and many friends for his good humor. He retained his quick wit right up until the end and was never at a loss for a snappy comeback.
Don is survived by his children Scott (Mikki) Schieber of Macon, Georgia, Jay (Jennifer Wells) Schieber of Chicago, Illinois, and Sandy (Jeff) Polonus, of Peoria, Illinois; two brothers, Robert (the late Jeanette) Schieber of Cypress, Texas, and Leon (Ellen) Schieber of Morton, Illinois; his sister-in-law Ann (Loren) Schieber; five grandchildren, Andrew Schieber, Evan Schieber, Emily Polonus, Eli Polonus, and Nate Schieber, and one great-grandson, Elliot Wooley. Don was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda, his parents, and two brothers, Loren Schieber and Alyn (the late Hilda) Schieber.
The family would like to thank the staff at Charter Senior Living for their exceptional care of Don during his time there, especially "Little Mama" and "Sunshine."
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at Eastside Bible Church in Morton, Illinois. Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Memory Gardens in Morton, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in Don's name to the Honor Flight Network at honorflight.org, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at stjude.org, or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation at t2t.org.
Tributes and condolences may be left at www.wrightandsalmon.com