Donald LeRoy Roland

     Donald LeRoy Roland, 98, of Addington Place in Fairfield, passed away Monday, March 31, 2025 at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.

     Funeral services celebrating his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 7, 2025 at Faith Methodist Church in Libertyville with Rev. John D. Boatman officiating. Burial will be at Fell Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Faith Methodist Church or Jefferson County Park. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

     Don was born December 21, 1926, the son of Trevor Sutton and Violet Chloe (Wireman) Roland. He was raised on a Century Farm south of Fairfield. He married Mary Ellen Eklund, July 2, 1946 in Edina, Missouri. They were married for over 72 years before she preceded him in death October 5, 2018.

     Don worked at Fairfield Dairy where he delivered milk and made cottage cheese (which he loved to tell the details on how it was made). He also worked at American Chain and Cable until its closing and then for Falco until he retired. Don kept busy with his farming and tending his cattle. His grandkids would love when he’d call the cows in to feed them corn. Don was an avid hunter of especially deer and turkey. He enjoyed fishing and canoeing, mushroom hunting and made homemade wine. Don loved camping and being outdoors and even baling hay with mom driving the tractor at times and loading it up in the barn in his later years by himself. He never backed down from a hard day’s work. In his later years he loved mowing and still had a garden where he’d share the fruits of his labor. Don enjoyed going to church and visiting with friends. He never knew a stranger.

     Those left to honor his memory are his two daughters, Barbara Kiernan of Weston, Florida and Kristi (Richard) Dlouhy of Pinehurst, North Carolina; one son, Gary (Amie) Roland of Ankeny, Iowa; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and one sister, Verda Hall of Fairfield. He will be greatly missed.

     In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, James Roland, Henry Roland, Velma Roland; and son-in-law, Peter Kiernan.