Donald W. Davis

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ORANGEVILLE/PAONIA, Colo – Donald W. Davis (Don or D.W., emphasis on dub-yah as he would say it) died on Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 surrounded by his family at his home in Paonia, Colo. He was 91 years old.
Don lived a colorful, full life. He was born on Sept. 2, 1919 in LaGrande, Ore., and spent most of his childhood in that area. Between the ages of 9 and 12, he looked for work by riding freight trains, eventually ending up at a ranch near LaGrande when he was 13. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps at the age of 16, working with them until he joined the U.S. Army at the age of 18 in 1938. After a tour in Alaska, he moved to Idaho but was recalled in 1942 and sent to Fadella, French Morocco. He was wounded near Casablanca later that year, and the hospital ship he was on was torpedoed and sunk. He was sent back to Walter Reed Hospital and awarded the Purple Heart. He was discharged from the army in 1944, and married Ann Ruth Upchurch later that year. They divorced in 1951.
Don drove commercial trucks for a living, and he met Lorna Lorraine Fail at a transfer company in Salt Lake City. They were married on June 9, 1956 and made their home in the Salt Lake City area. They moved to Orangeville in 1974, where Don continued to drive trucks for Savage Brothers. Don retired in 1994, and he and Lorna served two missions for the LDS church, a welfare mission in Burley, Idaho and a family history mission in Salt Lake City. They also served as temple workers in the Manti Temple for several years. They moved to Paonia, in 2006; that is where Don lost Lorna to cancer in 2007.
He was a hard worker who loved his family and who lived his entire life on his own terms. He is survived by 14 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and his children: Sharon (Scott) Morley of Paonia, Colo; Brent (Collette) Davis of Lehi; Garth (Debbie) Davis of Superior, Wyo; and Jennifer (Steven) Staheli of Goshen.
A viewing will be held on Monday, Oct. 4, 2010 in the Paonia LDS Church (511 Oak Avenue, Paonia, Colo.) at 1 p.m., with a funeral to follow at 2 p.m. Services will also be held in the Orangeville LDS Church (45 W. 100 S., Orangeville) on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010 with a viewing at 12 p.m. and a funeral service at 1 p.m. Interment will be at the Orangeville City Cemetery. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary. Family and friends may share memories of Donald and sign the guest book at www.fausettmortuary.com.