A Celebration of Life Service for Donavan E. Ammann, 85, of rural Odin, Minnesota, will be held 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, February 4, 2015 at First Lutheran Church in Trimont, Minnesota, with Rev. Stephanie Christoffels officiating.
Burial will be in Elm Creek Cemetery, rural Trimont.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at the Kramer Family Funeral Home in Trimont and one hour prior to the services at the church on Wednesday.
Messages of Sympathy may be sent to the family online at www.kramerfuneralhome.com.
Donnie passed away on Saturday morning, January 31, 2015 at Pleasant View Good Samaritan Center in St. James, Minnesota.
Donavan Edward Ammann was born June 22, 1929, in Cedar Township, Minnesota, the son of Leonard and Hildegard (Flohrs) Ammann. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church of rural Galena Township. Donavan attended Ormsby Elementary School, St. James Public High School and the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture in the Twin Cities.
During his youth, he was a 12-year member of 4-H and enjoyed showing beef numerous times at the Junior Livestock Show. He served for four years in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict aboard the U.S.S Hancock CVA-19, being honorably discharged in 1956.
On May 15, 1960 he was united in marriage to Melva Rae Bloomquist at First Lutheran Church in Trimont, Minnesota. After their marriage, they lived in Ormsby, Minnesota and moved to rural Odin in 1963.
In 1973 they moved onto his family’s Century Farm. Feeding cattle was his passion, first running a feeder cattle operation with his brother, and then a cow-calf operation with his son. He was a Charter member of the South Central Cattlemen, serving as President and member on the Minnesota Cattlemen State Resolutions Committee.
He was a charter member of Grace Lutheran Church in Ormsby, serving as congregational President, and was an active Elder until its closing in 2013.
Donavan was a 58-year member of the American Legion, an Honorary Member of the Trimont FFA Chapter, a 17-year Galena Township 4-H Adult Leader, and would have celebrated 38 years of sobriety in April. He enjoyed playing cards and cribbage, fishing and boating, following Minnesota sports, sitting on the deck watching the cattle and following the daily markets and sale barn activity.
He loved spending time with his family on the farm and was genuinely proud of all his grandchildren, traveling to attend their varied church, school and 4-H activities.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Melva Ammann of rural Odin; their five children, Tara (Brian) Jones of Owatonna, Minnesota, Teresa (Mark) Anderson of Fairfield, California, David (Michele) Ammann of Truman, Minnesota, Darla (James) Hoppe of St. James, Minnesota and Miriam (Nathan) Hanson of Blanchester, Ohio; 20 grandchildren, Garrett, Tayla, Spencer, Mitchell and Margaret Jones, Britta, Evan, Reid (Ashley), Erick, Linnea and Ryan Anderson, Haley, Hayden and Hannah Ammann, Ethan (Emily), Logan, Colin and Landon Hoppe and Dalton and Nolan Hanson; one great-grandchild, Elliot Hoppe; a brother, Kenneth (Betty) Ammann of rural Ormsby; a sister-in-law, Eunice Johnson of St. James; brothers-in-law, Harold (DiAnn) Bloomquist of Trimont, Wayne Bloomquist of Trimont, Charles (Michelle) Bloomquist of Los Alamitos, California and many nieces and nephews and other relatives.
Donavan was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Shirley Nelson; father- and mother-in-law, Erick and Clarice Bloomquist; in-laws, Floyd Johnson, Wanda Bloomquist and Ron and Sharon Bloomquist and a nephew, Paul Johnson.