Danny ‘Dan’ Elder

Danny “Dan” Elder, of Columbus Junction, Iowa died Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Iowa City, surrounded by his family.

Dan was born in Richland Center, Wis., March 3, 1928, and lived in the Muscoda, Wis., area until he joined the Navy in 1946. After serving two years, he returned to Wisconsin and then re-enlisted in 1951, for another four years, making him a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War.

He worked at Thatcher Plastics (Celon Company) in Muscatine, Iowa as a tool and die maker and retired in 1990.

Dan had numerous hobbies including knife making, gemology and rock collecting, crafting scale model steam engines, fishing, and everything related to the outdoors. He had a keen interest in learning how things worked and loved sharing those discoveries with everyone around him. Dan was known for his great sense of humor and his ability to make people laugh in any situation, even while he was in the hospital.

Dan and Rita Coenen Mathiot had six children, Lynn Schurr and husband, Gary, David Elder (deceased), Teresa Winders and husband, Alan, Ann Elder (deceased), Daniel Elder and wife, Lori, and Joe Elder. He also had seven grandchildren, Tyler Winders, Danielle Feller, Zachary Elder, Alex Schuckenbrock and husband, Tanner, Blake Feller, Andrew Winders, and Ryley Elder, plus five step-grandchildren, Marie Flores and husband, Alex, David Schurr and wife, McKinsey, Neal Schurr and wife, Heather, Lanna Niemann and husband, Luke, and Jordan James and 20 great-grandchildren.

Since all of Dan’s family was at hand at the time of his death, a memorial celebration was held Saturday, Aug. 11 at his favorite restaurant, Los Palmas in Columbus Jct.

Nichols Life Tribute Funeral and Cremation Services, Muscatine, was in care of Dan’s family and arrangements.