CHATFIELD -- The funeral for the Rev. Donald L. Drury will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Pioneer Presbyterian Church in Chatfield, with Sharon Johnson, executive Presbyter, and the Rev. Timothy Gerarden co-officiating. Burial will be Friday in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Rev. Drury, 73, of Eau Claire, Wis., a former pastor at the Chatfield, Lewiston and Utica Presbyterian churches, died Sunday (Sept. 28, 2003) at Clairemont Nursing Home in Eau Claire following a two-year illness with cancer. He entered the nursing home in July.
Born Oct. 18, 1929, in Eau Claire, he graduated from Eau Claire High School in 1948, served with the Army in Korea; and received the Battle Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge. After attending St. Paul Bible College from 1953 to 1956, he served Baptist churches in Canada until 1965, including doing social work in Portage LaPrairie, Manitoba, for a year. He then was lay supply pastor in Presbyterian churches in Blackduck, Mizpah and Kelliher, Minn., and in the Methodist Church in Vinton, Iowa, and the Presbyterian Church in Shellsburg, Iowa. From 1969 to 1972, he attended Dubuque Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1973, and then served as pastor at the Chatfield, Utica and Lewiston Presbyterian churches until 1987. He served Presbyterian churches in Goodland and Warba, Minn., and in Hastings, Hanover and Stapleton, Neb. Following retirement in 1994, he served as stated supply pastor in Bancroft, Neb., for five years, was interim pastor in Lyons, Neb., for a year and was stated supply pastor at North Presbyterian Church in Eau Claire until retiring in 2001. He was a member of VFW Post 305 of Eau Claire. He was married and later divorced.
Survivors include two sons, Michael of Rochester and Patrick (Kathleen) of Geneva, Ill.; a daughter, Beth (Dale) Lange of Rochester; seven grandchildren; a brother, David of Milwaukee; and four sisters, Susan (Pat) Spellman of Hayward, Wis., Barbara (Lynn) Clough of Pahromp, Nev., Trish Franck of Omaha, Neb., and Linda Tompkins of Waukesha, Wis.
Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Riley Funeral Home in Chatfield and an hour before the service Thursday at the church.
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Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society.
