David Thrane

May 28, 2022

David Thrane

Service Details

David Joe Thrane, age 84, passed away peacefully at Karen Acres Healthcare Center on Saturday, May 28, 2022, under the care of Hospice, following a years-long battle with dementia and debilitating arthritis pain.

David was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 16, 1938, to George Washington and Alice Madge Marie (Hall) Thrane. He was the 8th child, and the 4th son, born into this family of 13 children. David’s family spent the years of his early childhood in Nebraska, and then moved to Garden Grove, Iowa, to farm full time. There they raised and milked dairy cows, and gardened extensively to feed this growing family. In between the demands of helping out on the family farm, David attended school in the Garden Grove Community School District.

At the age of 17, David chose to leave high school and enlist in the Unites States Army. He served 3 years in the Army, 82nd Airborne Division, spending an extensive amount of time stationed in Germany. He was discharged in 1958, following continuing health problems after a surgery to repair a knee injury.

David’s career path after leaving the military soon led him to the construction field. By this time, he had moved to Dallas, Texas, where he first worked in residential construction, and later in commercial construction. Eventually, he landed a job with Robert E. McKee Construction, and he faithfully served the company, as a construction superintendent, until his retirement. He took pride in showing his kids and grandkids the projects that he had helped build, which included the Dallas City Hall, and the Texas Instruments plant.

Building things was a passion for him, and he often shared this gift with others. Other passions for David included a love of John Deere tractors, a fierce loyalty to Ford pickup trucks, and being a die-hard fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Having entered nursing-home care in February of 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, he was kept away from the thing that became most precious to him: spending time with family. On our visits with him, his favorite topic of conversation was how he wanted to build a big place so that all of his family could be together.

Over the course of his life, David was to be married four times. He is survived by his six biological children: Sharon (Coleman) Farrar; David (Dawn) Thrane; Robert Ross; David (Colleen) Ross; Teressa (David) Edwards; Loretta (Joe) Wellendorf; and five step-children: Jerry (Glinda) Welty; Lowanna (T.J.) Jackson; Larry Welty; Debbie Arntfield; Amber Buckner. In addition, he is survived by 31 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren.

Of the thirteen children of George and Alice Thrane, four now remain: David’s sister, Bonnie Wineinger; and his brothers Gregg (Lisa) Thrane; Gary Thrane and Doug Thrane.

David was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters: Jean Wilson; Lois Baker; Margaret Gowan; five brothers: Lewis Thrane; George Thrane; Richard Thrane; William Thrane; Walter “Lee” Thrane; two step-sons: Alan Arntfield; Billy Arntfield; and one grandchild: Lacy Standridge.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street in Des Moines. Visitation will be immediately preceding the service from 9-11am. A meal will be served afterwards at Alathea Baptist Church, 10450 E County Line Rd, Des Moines. Interment will occur at a later date at Garden Grove Cemetery.

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