Dr. Donald Frost Strutt
Dr. Donald Frost Strutt, 88, passed away in his home with his family by his side. He was born in Dodgeville, Wis., on Aug. 16,1931. The family home was in Ridgeway until after his father’s death, when Donald was 10 years old. They then moved to Dodgeville, where he felt a responsibility to his mother, younger sister and brother and went to work early in life. He graduated from Dodgeville High School in 1949. Don married the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, Joanne Lucille Reese, on March 19, 1951. They worked and loved their way to his life’s finish line during their 69 years of marriage.
Don graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1952 and moved to McGregor where he took care of patients until he was almost 80 years old. He was well respected for his diagnostic skills, earning the confidence of his patients and colleagues. Doc, as he was locally known, served as mayor of McGregor. He also served on the city council, the hospital board, the administrative board for the United Methodist Church, was a Master Mason and a Rainbow Dad. He bought and published the North Iowa Times—Iowa’s third oldest established newspaper—to keep it from going out of business and ran it for 10 years. He was a past president of the Iowa Chiropractic Society and of the Iowa Society of Chiropractic Orthopedists.
Doc had a love of learning from computers/technology to earning his IFR rating as a pilot along with Joanne. He worked hard, but also loved his time relaxing with Joanne, traveling the world or on their houseboat cruising the Mississippi River. He loved to be surrounded by family and friends and was the ultimate host, quick with a smile, a laugh and food/drink to go with it. The love between Doc and Jo was a constant inspiration and example to everyone who knew them.
He is survived by his wife and children: Charles Frost (Janet), Grimes; twins, David (Marci), West Des Moines and Dawson (Jackie), Onalaska, Wis.; Craig (Terri), McGregor; and Darci (Mike McQuiston) Strutt, Hudson, Wis.; his brother, William (Judy), Friendship, Wis.; 23 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Frost Strutt and Shirley Elizabeth (Paull) (Strutt) Peterson of Dodgeville, Wis.; his sister, Mary Lou (Strutt) Peterson of Madison, Wis.; and great-grandson Jackson Ellerbach of Onalaska, Wis.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Croix Hospice or the McGregor Public Library Foundation in Don’s name.
Visitation will be Friday, March 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, McGregor, and one hour before services at the church on Saturday.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at Living Faith United Methodist Parish, McGregor, with Rev. Deb Parkison as the officiant.
Inurnment will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, McGregor.
Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, McGregor, is helping the family with the arrangements.
