Donald Hugh Stangland, 87, of rural Albion, died 1:38 p.m. Tuesday, September 7, 2021, at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne.

He was born October 29, 1933, at Luckey Hospital in Wolf Lake, Indiana, a son of the late Jay P. and Mary A. (Starkey) Stangland. Growing up in the Wolf Lake area, he graduated from Wolf Lake High School in 1952.

Drafted into the U.S. Navy, he trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center and then was assigned as an aircraft refueler on the west coast. He was honorably discharged on December 7, 1961.

On March 28, 1954, he married Patricia Ann Berkes. Outside of his military service, the couple has always lived in rural Albion.

In addition to grain farming, Don worked for Food Marketing / Supervalu, Fort Wayne as the fleet maintenance manager for 37 years.

Since childhood, Don has been a loyal member of the Merriam Christian Chapel Church.

An avid Elk hunter, he made an annual hunting trip to Colorado for over 52 years. He enjoyed shooting sports and flying his own private plane, earning a pilot's license at age 16. A John Deere enthusiast, he adorned his property with their logo items.  After the crop growing season, he kept active by cutting and splitting wood used to heat the home.

Surviving is his wife of 67 years, Patricia; two daughters, Kim (Kevin) Stump of Albion and Daphne (Doug) Stevenson of Valparaiso; grandchildren, Emily (J.D.) Uebler, Trisha (Dan) Rouch, Abby (Justin) Harrity, Tyler (Kara) Stevenson, Michelle (Zach) Alexander, Mitchell (Adrienne) Stevenson, Allison Stevenson, and Laurel Stevenson and 11 great grandchildren; a sister Sue Johnson of Greenfield and a son-in-law Kevin Bontrager of Nappanee.

Additionally, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Sherry Lynne Bontrager, and a brother Rex Stangland.

The funeral service is 10:00 a.m. Saturday at the Merriam Christian Chapel Church, 3985 S US 33, Albion, with the interment to follow at the Christian Chapel Cemetery.  Visitation is 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church and one hour prior to the service on Saturday.  Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City.

Preferred memorials are to the Gideons or Merriam Christian Chapel Church.