Donald Metzger

Donald “Don” Metzger age 89, of Lester, IA passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at home. Don will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, farmer, veteran, and friend whose life was rooted in family, hard work, and the land he loved.

Visitation will be Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. with the family present at the Apostolic Christian Church Fellowship Hall in Lester.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Apostolic Christian Church in Lester, IA. Burial will follow in the Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery at Lester, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Lyon County Historical Society. The family extends its heartfelt thanks to friends and family for the care and kindness shown to Don and his family.

Arrangements are in the care of the Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids, IA.

Donald Paul “Don” Metzger was born on July 17, 1937, on a farm near Hills, Minnesota, to Ernst and Ella Metzger. He was one of sixteen children, growing up with nine brothers and six sisters. In 1938, the family moved to a farm north of Lester, Iowa. There, amid cattle, hogs, chickens, ducks, crops, and a large garden, Don learned the value of resourcefulness, cooperation, and steady work—lessons that guided him throughout his life.

Don graduated from Lester Public School in 1955. After high school, he worked on the family farm, studied mechanics through a correspondence course, and put his natural ability with engines and machinery to work at garages in Luverne, Minnesota, and Rock Rapids, Iowa. He later returned to farming before entering the United States Army in 1961. After training at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he crossed the North Atlantic by troop ship and served with the 76th Transit Company in Orléans, France, driving truck. His travels during service also took him to Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. He returned home just before Christmas in 1962.

Once back in Lester, Don joined his father in modernizing the family dairy farm. Together they added a milking parlor and loafing barn, expanded the herd, and helped establish Summit Farm, Inc. in 1964. Don took pride in improving the quality and production of the family’s registered Jersey dairy cattle. He and his wife, Mary Jane, were active in state and national Jersey organizations, and Don served as a director of the American Jersey Cattle Club. Farming was more than his occupation; it was a family way of life that he helped strengthen for the generations that followed.

Don met Mary Jane in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1964, and they were married on October 2 of that year in Lester. Together they built a life full of work, ingenuity, adventure, and love. One of their most memorable projects was turning two one-room schoolhouses into a modern four-bedroom farmhouse, with Mary Jane helping design the home and kitchen. There they raised their three children.

Family life on the farm was busy and close-knit. Don and Mary Jane served as 4-H leaders, and their children showed sheep and Jersey cattle while also completing cooking and other projects. The family attended fairs and national Jersey conventions and shared the everyday joys of country life—garden strawberries, tomatoes, cake tops, ice cream, and time spent working side by side.

Don had a lifelong gift for building, fixing, and improving things. Whether remodeling a house, caring for animals, planting corn and beans, delivering furniture for Mary Jane’s decorating business, or planning a woodworking shop, he was happiest when his hands and mind were at work. In retirement, he and Mary Jane moved to an acreage west of Lester, where horses, cattle, goats, sheep, garden produce, and family visits kept life full. They also traveled together to Nova Scotia, England, Ireland, and Scotland while researching Mary Jane’s family history.

Don leaves his family a legacy of perseverance, practical wisdom, quiet service, and gratitude for a life well lived. His stories, steady presence, and example will remain part of the family he loved so dearly. Don will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, farmer, veteran, and friend whose life was rooted in Jesus, family, hard work, and the land he loved.

Don is survived by his children, John (Peggy) Metzger, Lloyd (Mindy) Metzger, and Jennifer (Brett) Puetz; his grandchildren, Shelby (Taylor) Loes, Gabrielle (Caleb) Metzger, Carissa (Lexie) Metzger, Andrew (Tayler) Metzger, Ryan (Anna) Metzger, Tyler (Hannah) Puetz, and Brianna (Alec) Christie; great-grandchildren, Arabella Puetz, Aubrie Metzger, Hallie Metzger, and Max Christie; siblings Shirley Wuthrich, Della Luthi, Ella (John) Martin, Helen Anliker, Alvin Metzger, Arthur (Kristy) Metzger, Virgil (Mary) Metzger, Glen (Joyce) Metzger, Arlene (Rod) Grimm, Harvey (Mary) Metzger, Rodney (Polly) Metzger, Ida (Keith) Kellenberger, and Harold (Patricia) Metzger; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Jane; his parents, Ernst and Ella; brothers John and Boyd Metzger, a sister-in-law Lois Metzger, and brothers-in-law Don Luthi, Joel Wuthrich, and Leonard Anliker.