Ralph Donald "Don" Dawson, age 86, of Moorhead, MN, died Wednesday, February 20, 2013, in his home under the care Hospice of the Red River Valley.
Ralph Donald Dawson, the son of Ralph and Gladys (Harson) Dawson, was born November 19, 1926, in Moorhead where he grew up and attended school. The family moved to Dilworth in 1940, where his father worked for the railroad. In 1946, he was drafted into the U.S. Army serving during the Korean Conflict.
Don married Theresa Rose Siegel of Glyndon, MN, on September 15, 1946, in Fort Monmouth, NJ, before being sent overseas. Upon returning from the service, they made their home in Moorhead where he began working for the Moorhead Fire Department in 1952. He rose through the ranks to Assistant Fire Chief, serving in that position until his retirement in 1981. During those years, he also worked at Simon's Furniture, FM Ambulance and Charlie Kankelfritz Trucking.
Don was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. He loved spending summers at the lake and winters in Arizona for many years. He also enjoyed wood carving.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa; daughters, Mary Jane (Larry) Heck, Minneapolis, MN, Ann Jean (Paul) Wibe of Hawley, MN, and Donna Dawson, Moorhead; son, Ronald (JoAnne) Dawson of Hoschton, GA; nine grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Shirley (Grant) Mohr, Moorhead, and Gladys (Gordon) Black of John Day, OR; brothers, Curt (Shirley) Dawson of Lynwood, WA, and Gary (Sharon) Dawson of Moorhead; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Alfred, Owen and Floyd; and sisters, Theo Dawson and Muriel Olson.
Visitation: Sunday, 5 PM to 7 PM with a Prayer Service at 7 PM in Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead.
Mass of Christian Burial: Monday, February 25, 2013, at 11:00 AM, in St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Moorhead.
Interment: St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Moorhead.