Joseph W. Donahoe - Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)

DARLINGTON, Wis. - Joseph W. Donahoe, 88, of Darlington, diedThursday, March 9, 2006, at Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County,following a brief illness.

Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Holy Rosary CatholicChurch, 104 E. Harriet St. Darlington, with the Rev. Randy Budnarofficiating. Burial will be at Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery,Darlington. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Steil CamachoFuneral Home, 206 E. Harriet St., Darlington, where there will be arosary service at 3 p.m.

He was born on June 25, 1917, on the family farm in KendallTownship, son of Michael and Bridget (Deery) Donahoe. He married AnnaMcDonald on April 30, 1946.

He graduated from Pleasant View One Room School House in 1931, andgraduated from Belmont High School in 1935. He worked on the familyfarm with his brother and often on neighbors farms. He was involvedin 4-H projects. In August 1940, Joe attended the Reppert School ofAuctioneering in Decatur, Ind., where he was inducted into the Hallof Fame in 1998.

Following graduation, he returned to the family farm to begin hisauction career, conducting his first farm sale on Oct. 30, 1940.

He was inducted into the Army on March 13, 1941, with Company D738th MP Battalion. He was discharged on Aug. 21, 1945, after hisoriginal tour of duty had been extended to 4 years, 5 months and 8days. During his Army service, Joe earned the American DefenseRibbon; the American Campaign Medal; Good Conduct Medal; SouthernPacific Campaign Ribbon; World War II Victory Medal; PhilippineLiberation Medal with one Bronze Star; US Meritorious Unit AwardEmblem; Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; six overseas stripesand one longevity stripe.

As an auctioneer after the war, one of his first sales was at theSouthern Wisconsin Junior Livestock Show in Madison, in October 1945.He was to continue as an auctioneer at this event for 51 continuousyears, retiring after completing his last sale in September 1995.

In 1947, Joe was elected to the City Council of Darlington. Thatsame year, he joined the National Society of Auctioneers, whichbecame the National Auctioneers Association, (NAA) in 1949. In 1969,Joe was elected Director of the NAA and was inducted into its Hall ofFame in 1983.

In 1948, in conjunction with two partners, he built the BelmontLivestock Market Sale Barn which is still in operation today.

He sold the first livestock sale at the Wisconsin State Fair in1954, and served on the State Department of Agricultural HealthAdvisory Commission in 1960 and 1961.

He joined the Wisconsin Auctioneers Association, (WAA) in 1955,and served as its president in 1959, and 1960, where he was awardedthe first Auctioneer of the Year award in 1962. He was inducted tothe WAA Hall of Fame in 1994.

He was elected Commander of the local Veterans of Foreign WarsPost 5268, after having served as Quartermaster of the originalestablishment of the post. He also served as Commander of the BatesO'Brien Howe Wiegel American Legion Post 214 in 1946; he was thefirst World War II veteran to be commander. He received the VFWDistinguished Service Citation; Post Commander Citation as All StateCommander; and the VFW National Distinguished Award in 1986. He alsowas honored as a 50-year member of the local VFW Post and of theAmerican Legion Post in 1995.

He was appointed as the Site Selection Committee Chairman for thenew Darlington High School in 1963.

His career has been a rewarding one, and Joe thanks everyone thatcontributed to his success.

He was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Darlington.

Surviving are his beloved wife, Anna, at home; his children, Mary(Dean) Rugotska, of Madison, Pat (LuAnn) Donahoe and Ann (Bob) Long,both of Darlington, Monica (Dan Lynch) Donahoe, of Saukville, Steve(Kathy) Donahoe, of Livonia, Mich., Kay (Pat Fitzsimons) Donahoe, ofMonroe, and Jeff Donahoe, of Vietnam; 12 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Bob Donahoe, in1952, and Dick Donahoe, in 1975; a sister, Cecilia Donahoe; and abrother, Vincent Donahoe.

Copyright 2003 by Telegraph-Herald, All rights Reserved.