Donald John Fiecke

Fiecke, Donald J.

Following hospitalization for an acute illness, Donald Fiecke passed away on June 27.

Don was a collector of blacksmithing and other hand tools, machine tools, machines, and antique machinists' reference books. He was an armchair student of Biblical, European, WWII, U.S. frontier, Native American, and Southeast Asian history and geography. As a child he was familiar with German as spoken by his grandparents, and in the army he picked up more than a G.I.'s share of French; he also attended a Hebrew class at Temple Israel. Donald John Fiecke was born in Watertown, MN, on June 10, 1938 to Albert and Mary (Janisch) Fiecke. He grew up on the family dairy farm near Winsted, and held a lifelong respect for animals. He remembered his childhood fondly.

Graduated from Holy Trinity School in Winsted in 1956, Don joined the U.S. Army and sailed to France, where he served as a machinist in Angoulême. On leaves he loved traveling Europe. He was honorably discharged in 1959, next completed machinists' training at Dunwoody Institute and his apprenticeship, and went on to work 40 years as a machine tool and die maker.

Don married Beverly Ann Marshall at St. Albert the Great in 1962, and they bought a house a half-mile down 36th Avenue from her parents' home. There they raised two children and were active in their church, St. Helena.

Donald Fiecke is survived by his daughter Diane Marschall. He was predeceased by his wife, Beverly, his son, Albert Ben, an infant son, his parents, and his brother Raymond.

Visitation will be held from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on July 7 at the Bradshaw funeral home, 3131 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, followed by burial Calvary Cemetery at Forest Lake, next to Beverly and Albert. Memorials preferred to Little Sisters of the Elderly Poor.