Donald Keith Ummel

Donald Keith Ummel, 96, died March 28, 2025, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa. A celebration of life will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 2, 2025, at New Hope United Methodist Church, 4525 Beaver Ave., Des Moines. The family will receive friends during the hour before the services. Inurnment with military honors will be at Chapel Hill Gardens immediately following the services

Don was born March 30, 1928, to Henry and Katherine (Sargent) Ummel and raised on the family farm at Arnold, Ness County, Kansas. He graduated from Arnold High School in 1945 and Kansas State University in 1949, earning a BS degree in agriculture.

During the summer before his senior year at K-State, he worked as a soil conservation aide at Dighton, Kansas. This launched his career with the USDA Soil Conservation Service that would run more than 35 years, interrupted only by the Korean War in 1950. He spent 1951-52 in Korea with the U.S. Army 14th Combat Engineer Battalion. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service.

After discharge from the Army as Sergeant First Class, he married Doris Jackson on Nov. 22, 1952, in Stockton, Kansas.

When Don went off to college, he left the farm, but it never left him. After majoring in soil conservation at K-State, his career with SCS took him and Doris from Kansas to Nebraska, Vermont, back to Kansas, and finally to Iowa. He was the State Administrative Officer in Des Moines when he retired in 1985. In retirement, he enjoyed keeping track of the planting and harvest on land Doris inherited in Kansas.

After retiring from SCS, he worked six tax seasons for H&R Block. He also spent many hours in his workshop building holiday decorations and birdhouses that became gifts for family and friends.

Don was dedicated to his family, his community, and his church. He and Doris were married 64 years. Not long after moving to Des Moines they became charter members of New Hope United Methodist Church. They were actively involved on many church committees and in the Merry Mates couples fellowship club.

Family and friends will remember him as a devoted husband, brother, and uncle: a proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; and a loyal friend, parishioner, and neighbor.

He is survived by his children, Debbie (Mark) Ediger, Denny (Robyn) Ummel, and Dawn (John) Goodlove; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Marvin; a sister, Eunice; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Doris, parents, brothers Kenneth and Ralph, and sisters Dorothy, Evelyn, Mildred, and Phyllis.

Memorial contributions may be made to New Hope United Methodist Church, 4525 Beaver Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310; the Wounded Warrior Project, woundedwarriorproject.org; or Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines. Please note the contribution is in memory of Donald Ummel.