Donald Brink

Donald E. Brink, age 79 Cold Spring January 20, 1926 – April 17, 2005 Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at First United Methodist Church, St. Cloud, MN for Donald E. Brink who died April 17th at St. Cloud Veterans Administration Medical Center. Burial will be held at Fort Ripley National Cemetery following the funeral at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will be held at the Wenner Funeral Home in Cold Spring, Tuesday after 4 p.m. and Wednesday morning from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at the Church. Donald was born January 20, 1926, in Platte, South Dakota, to Nancy (Westerhius) and John Brink. He grew up on a farm and was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1946. He served two terms of duty in Korea. In 1955, he married Norma J. Groeber in Plankinton, South Dakota. Donald was discharged from the Army in 1956 and joined the U.S. Air Force. He served tours of duty at Ellsworth AFB (Rapid City, SD); Torrejon AFB (Madrid, Spain); Clinton Sherman AFB (Okalahoma); Bitburg AFB (Germany); and MacDill AFB (Florida) accompanied by his family. In 1972 Donald retired from the service after serving 23 years. In September of 1972 Donald moved his family to Cold Spring, MN. He began working at the V.A. Medical Center in St. Cloud, where he worked until his retirement in 1988. He and his wife, Norma, enjoyed traveling in their fifth wheel and spending winters in Florida. Donald loved the outdoors, was a very loving husband and father, and adored his grandchildren. Donald is survived by his wife of 49 years, Norma; sons, Dennis (Lou Ann Hervin) of Big Spring, TX and Calvin (Deb Swanson) of Marshall, MN; daughters, Dianne (David) Thomes of Rockville, MN and Pamela (Paul) Winskowski of Cold Spring, MN; brothers, Gerrit (Lena) of Clark, CO, Lawrence (Carol) of Plankinton, SD, Marion (Shirley) of Sioux Falls, SD, Robert (Judy) of Cold Spring, MN, Marvin (Delores) of Toledo, Ohio and Darold (Carolyn) of Clearwater, FL. He leaves ten grandchildren; Travis, Mandi jo, Ryan, Mitchell, Cole, Lucas, Jamie, Paul, Lucas and Keegan and one great-granddaughter, Emma. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Herman and Harold; four sisters, Dora, Effie, Wilma and Evelyn; one brother and one sister in infancy. Memorials will go the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Cloud V.A. Medical Center and First United Methodist Church of St. Cloud.

Donald Brink

January 20, 1926 - April 20, 2005