Donald D. Stang

Don was born on March 12, 1932 in Hettinger County, North Dakota. He married Shirley Sommers on June 2, 1963 in Havre, Montana. Together they had 2 children.

Don served in the US Army, as a high speed radio operator and attended Dickinson State College, graduating in 1961. He also worked as a radio telegrapher for the NP Railroad on summer vacations for several years.

Don was a teacher/educator for over 35 years, teaching bookkeeping at Sidney High School in Sidney, Montana for seven years, and then accounting at the Brainerd Area Vocational-Technical Institute in Brainerd. He was active in the NEA/MEA and area Uniserv District for all his teaching career, serving as a negotiator for many of those years. His passion was gardening and growing flowers, and he was instrumental in helping develop the original Community Gardens near the State Hospital. With his students he organized the volunteer income tax program at the Vo-Tech and also worked as a teacher of new volunteers and tax preparer in the Volunteer Income Tax Program through the IRS/AARP in Harlingen. Don and Shirley were square dancers for over 43 years, serving as officers with Ray’s Promenaders and North Country Plus Clubs numerous times and attended many State Conventions. He was active in the Elks Lodge and served as Exalted Ruler, was Lodge Secretary for many years, was in charge of the Elks Fair Booth at the Crow Wing County Fair, and attended numerous State and National Conventions. He also served on the Brainerd Public Utilities Commission for the City of Brainerd for several terms and was an election judge. Don enjoyed singing in the church choirs both in Brainerd and Harlingen and served in numerous capacities on the Church Council and was treasurer at Trinity for over 20 years. He and Shirley enjoyed being Winter Texans for 14 years, taking several cruises, traveling to Germany with the College and especially enjoyed a family trip to Alaska celebrating their 50th Anniversary.