Donald Keith Viksten

Donald K. Viksten, 90 of Willard, Missouri, formerly of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.  Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 28, 2024 at Central Baptist Church in Sioux City with Neil Peck officiating.  Burial will follow at Graceland Park Cemetery.  A Reception will follow the burial at Central Baptist Church for fellowship with the family.  Nelson-Berger Northside Chapel is assisting the family with arrangement.  Memorials may be made to the Sioux City Gospel Mission or Convoy of Hope in Springfield, MO.

Donald Keith Viksten was born to Arvid and Ragna Viksten on February 12, 1934, in Sioux City, IA. The family also lived in California and in Poulsbo, WA before returning to Sioux City where Don graduated from Central High School in 1952.

Don enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard on Dec. 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, 1953 where he served as a buoy tender and engine room attendant in Cameron, LA until Nov. 1957. Following Don’s time in the Coast Guard, he moved back to Sioux City and worked as a service technician for Pitney Bowes for more than 30 years, accepting an early retirement incentive on Feb. 16, 1990, at the age of 56.

Don married Elaine Nelson on May 16, 1959, in Wakefield, NE. Don and Elaine were married for 44 years, until Elaine’s sudden and unexpected death on October 21, 2003. After Don’s early retirement, he and Elaine worked at Sky Ranch Lutheran Bible Camp in Colorado every summer from 1990-1998. Don did everything from camp repairs to driving student campers down the Poudre Canyon to Ft. Collins for various medical emergencies!

Don and Elaine’s trip of a lifetime began in May 1999 when they towed their Airstream travel trailer from Memorial Day weekend through October for an 11,000 mile, 5 month vacation from Sioux City to Alaska. Don and Elaine subsequently spent their retirement years volunteering for the SOWERS (Servants On Wheels Ever Ready to Serve) organization. They spent hundreds of nights in their Airstream volunteering at Bible Camps all over the country. Their favorite destination was Texas Baptist Encampment in Palacios, TX. They had a permanent campsite awaiting them every winter for 12 years (2001-2013.)

Don was active at First Lutheran and Central Baptist churches in Sioux City, serving on several church councils and building committees and teaching 6th grade Sunday School for more than 25 years. Don moved to Springfield, MO in 2010 where he attended Willard First Baptist Church. He particularly enjoyed his “old guys” Sunday School class!

After moving to Missouri, Don tended raised bed vegetable gardens in his back yard. Don loved to work on broken tools, appliances, cars, and clocks. He could fix absolutely anything. He could carry on a conversation about anything with anyone! He made weekly trips to the local library to keep up on the latest news and to read the most recent car magazines, as well as to check out more books. He even carried an alphabetical list of the books he had already finished! Don also enjoyed time spent with his grandchildren. He was a very proud Grandpa and Great Grandpa.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Elaine; and his brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Esther Viksten (Iowa City), sister-in-law Margaret Viksten, and nephew, Steve Viksten. Survivors include his daughter Connie (Lee) Van Wyhe (Springfield); his son, Mark, of Sioux City; 3 grandchildren, Whitney (Jay) Evans, Kiersten (Nathan) Sexe and Derek (Samantha) Van Wyhe; 6 great grandchildren (Charles, Colette, Bianca, Aspyn, Spenser, and Winslow); his brother LeRoy Viksten (Orangevale, CA); nieces Jennifer Wyley and Karen (Steve) Hurt, and nephew Kevin Viksten.