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Dorance S. Day

1916 - 2010

Obituary for Dorance S. Day

Dorance S. Day, 94, of 15 Marflow St., Ventura, Iowa died Thursday Dec. 16, 2010 at his home in Mesa, Arizona. Funeral service will be held 11:00a.m. Thursday Dec . 23, 2010 at the First Congregational Church, Clear Lake, Iowa with Rev. Michael Nash officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5:00-7:00p.m. at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, IA. and then one hour before the service on Thursday at the church. Interment will be Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City, IA. Memorials may be given to the First Congregational Church, Clear Lake, IA.

Dorance was born June 17, 1916 in Klemme, IA, the son of John N. and Anna Mildred (Smith) Day. He graduated from Klemme High School in 1933 and attended the University of Iowa for two years. He married Ruth E. Petersen Dec. 31, 1935 in Clear Lake, IA.

Following college, during the war Dorance worked on the B25 Bomber in Englewood, CA as the leadman. He was the last person to see and check the plane after the B25's were built. While working for North American Aviation he gave final inspection to the B-25 Mitchell Bombers that bombed Tokyo, Japan in the Doolittle Raid. Dorance noted "It was the heaviest armed plane in the war." He is listed on the National World War II Memorial because of his work with the B25 Bomber. He was awarded the the Army-Navy E award for excellence while working for North American Aviation.

Dorance worked for Metropolitan Life Ins. Co as a sales representative, Assistant Manger and senior Sales Representative. He retired from them in 11-1-1976. Over the years they lived in Mason City (1936-39) Klemme(1939-41), Elsequndo CA (1942-1946), Mason City, (46-48), Des Moines (1948-52), Klemme (1952-58), Clear Lake, (1958-69) and Ventura (1969-present).

Dorance enjoyed working with people. His hobbies included hunting, fishing in Iowa, MN, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Montana. He is a past President of the Ventura Lions club, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Life member of the National Rifle Assoc. and a lifelong member of the First Congregational Church.

He established the D.S. Day Wildlife Refuge in 2008 and planted trees and coverage for 15 years. He also donated 5 acres of land to Hancock County to be held in perpetuity for the wildlife that he so loved. Dorance has enjoyed retirement in Mesa, AZ for many years.

Dorance married Elaine (Bissonette) Ferguson November 28, 1998 where they enjoyed splitting their time between her home in Mesa, AZ and his home in Ventura, IA.

Dorance is survived by his wife Elaine Day, Mesa, CA; son Gary B. Day and his wife Elna, Mason City, IA, two grandchildren John J. Day, Iowa City, IA, Kristin L. Kleckner and her husband Michael, Des Moines, IA and one great grandson Nicholas Foster, Des Moines, IA; step children Keith Ferguson and his wife Rebecca, Apache Junction, AZ, Annette Conner and her husband Charles, Atlanta, GA and Holly McDaniel and her husband Gene, Mesa, AZ.

Dorance was preceded in death by his parents and first wife Ruth Day (June 30, 1993).

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, IA 50428 (641)357-2193 [www.colonialchapels.com ]
 

source: © 2017 Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapels

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