James Donald “Don” Nation, Sr., 78, of Wellsville, Mo., passed away Saturday, January 25, 2020 at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.
Funeral services will be at 12:00 noon, Tuesday, January 28th at the Church of the Resurrection in Wellsville. Father Bill Debo will officiate. Serving as pallbearers will be his nephews, Gary Garufi, Tim Gooch, David Nation, Jeremy Nation, Phil Nation and Rick Nation. Honorary pallbearers will be Jared Feather, Dylan Dreiling, Travis Nation and Caleb Stark.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service, Tuesday, at the church.
Services are under the direction of the Myers Funeral Home in Wellsville.
Mr. Nation was born March 18, 1941 in Mexico, Missouri, a son of John Joseph Nation, Sr. and Florence Virginia (Grennan) Nation.
He was a 1959 graduate of Wellsville High School.
On July 1, 1961 he married Sandra Sue Trower at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Montgomery City, Missouri. They shared over 58 years of marriage together and were the parents of five children.
Don and Sandy lived on Hwy 161 while he was employed by Montgomery Manufacturing. Opportunity arose to own and operate the Zephyr service station in Wellsville from 1972 to 1976. He was then employed by Saak’s Auto Parts in Montgomery City from 1976 to 1978. Don and his family moved to Great Bend, KS in 1978 to work in the manufacturing and repair business for oil pumping units. He worked for CDR, KTM and Allen Pump Company before opening his own business, J Don N Repair. Don and his family moved backed to Wellsville in 1989. He was employed by OTI and the City of Wellsville before being self-employed as a mechanic until his retirement.
He enjoyed tinkering with cars and tracing the genealogy of his family. More than anything, he loved getting together with his brothers and sisters and Nation family and always enjoyed their reunions.
Don was a member of Church of the Resurrection in Wellsville.
Don is survived by his wife, Sandra Sue “Sandy “ Nation, of the home in Wellsville; children, James Donald “Donny” Nation, Jr. and wife Mary, of Wellsville, Cindy Sue Thurman and husband, Dion, of Montgomery City, Penny Lea Dreiling and husband Neal, of Great Bend, Kansas, Tina Jean Stark and husband, Steve, of Kearney, Missouri and Curtis Allen Nation, of Wellsville; sixteen grandchildren, Lena (Marty), Rene (Mitch), Jared, Kayla (Matt), Travis, Jason (Ashley), Barbie (Ryan), Kacee (Rob), Katelyn (Bo), Leanna, Sara (Chris), Dylan, Carly, Brooke (Gage), Caleb, and Addi; fourteen great-grandchildren, Marley, Isaac, Caden, Kendall, Makinley, Evie, Cody, Skyla, Aurora, Tayla, Siarah, Willa, Sophie and soon- to-be great grandson; sister, G. Joan Garufi, of Wellsville; brothers and sisters-in-law, Richard Vernon “Dick“ and Linda Nation, of Sanford, Florida and Robert Wayne “Bob“ and Caroline Nation, of Wellsville; sister-in-law, Shirley Janice Nation, of Wellsville; brother-in-law, James Everett “Jim” Gooch, of Wellsville; in addition to numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, John Joseph Nation, Jr.; sister, Mary Virginia Gooch; sister-in-law, Rebecca Alice “Becky” Nation; brother-in-law, Vincent Edward Garufi, Jr.; nephews, Patrick Alan Nation, Vincent Edward Garufi III; daughter-in-law, Nicki Nicole Nation and great nephew, William Claude “Bill” Holmes II.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Church of the Resurrection c/o Myers Funeral Home, 203 East Bates Street, Wellsville, MO 63384.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family at www.myersfuneralhome.biz.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Myers Funeral Home
203 East Bates St.
Wellsville, MO 63384
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Jan. 29, 2020
