Donald Lloyd

Donald Lloyd, 92, of Rochester, Minnesota, formerly of Columbus, Nebraska, died Saturday, September 2, 2023, at the Season Hospice House in Rochester.

Don was born on January 15, 1931, in rural Monroe, Nebraska, to Hugh Evan and Annabelle (Leggat) Lloyd. He attended Okay country grade school and graduated from Kramer High School in Columbus, Nebraska. He served in the Army from 1952 through 1954 at Fort Bliss Texas and Fort Stewart Georgia.

He married Thelma Josephine Ternus on November 12, 1955, at St. Francis Church in Humphrey. They farmed in the Humphrey and Lindsay area until 1978, when they retired from farming and moved to Columbus. Don then had an busy career as a realtor and auctioneer until his retirement at the age of 80.

Don played on the Cornlea baseball team as a young man and enjoyed the game his entire life. Don and Thelma enjoyed ballroom dancing, and they danced to many of the well-known big bands of their era. They also enjoyed traveling, including visits to cousins and ancestral family sites in Wales and Germany. Additionally, they were avid card players. Don was a member of the Rochester Korean War Veterans Club and served as Commander of the group for three years. He enjoyed his friends in the Rochester "Old Geezers" breakfast group, and he went to the gym religiously until shortly before his death.

After Thelma's death in 2014, Don reconnected with a childhood classmate, Elaine Nansel Westring of Stromsburg, Nebraska, who became a beloved member of the Lloyd family; she survives. Additional survivors include daughters Margaret and Linda of Rochester, Minnesota, son John (Andrea) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and daughter Susan (Lynn) Williams of Loveland, Colorado; grandchildren Shane Williams and Rachel Lloyd of Denver, Colorado, and Taylor Williams of Tacoma, Washington.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, wife Thelma, sister Margaret Ann, and brother Robert Evan. Memorials are suggested to the Rochester Korean War Veterans Club or the Postville Welsh Cemetery in care of the family.

The family wishes to acknowledge the loving care provided to Don by the staff of Seasons Hospice.

A memorial service will be held 11AM on Friday, October 6, 2023 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes (5421 Royal PL NW, Rochester, MN).

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, September 11, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Humphrey, Nebraska, with Fr. Matt Gutowski celebrating the Mass. Interment with military honors was held at the parish cemetery. The service on Monday was broadcast live on Gass Haney Funeral Home Facebook page.

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Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the Lloyd family. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.