Donald Moen

Middleton, WI

Donald Newton Moen, age 93, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, December 9th, 2014 after a long, fruitful and happy life.â₨ He was born in Sioux City, IA on October 4, 1921 to Edna (Barber) Moen and A. H. Moen.
The family moved to Jefferson, Wisconsin when he was nine years old. As a teenager he spent his summers working on his grandparents' farm with his uncle Harry (Heck) Barber in Boone County, Iowa. â₨He competed in football, basketball and baseball at Jefferson High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by one semester at Milton College where he played baseball. Don entered Northwestern Dental School in 1943 where he met two special friends; Bob Williams (Ogden, UT) and W.J. Wooten (Canyon, TX). These three were from totally different backgrounds, but were united by a tremendous sense of humor. Their friendship lasted a lifetime.
After dental school, he proudly served in the Navy aboard the USS Frontier (AD-25), a destroyer tender. He was the ship's dentist, but when they reached post-war Japan, he also served as the ship's recreational officer. He set up baseball fields in Japan where the sailors, and eventually the Japanese, could play. In doing so, he helped spread the popularity of the game he loved. His well-worn first baseman's glove was always close at hand in case he could squeeze in a game of 'catch'.
After being discharged from the Navy, he began a general practice dental office in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. This is when he met his future wife, Patricia Neilson. He was two hours late for their first date due to a complication at the office. When he finally came to her door she was going to tell him to "get lost", but when she saw his infectious smile she agreed to go on their date to a UW basketball game. The rest is history. They were married on June 17, 1950.
In the fall of 1950 he entered orthodontic school at the Ohio State University. After two years in Columbus, where he also hatched chickens in the basement of their brand new townhouse, they returned to Wisconsin and settled in Verona. He practiced orthodontics in the Tenney Building in Madison. The family moved to Cambridge in 1955, and to New Glarus in 1964. Don moved his practice to Monroe in 1970 and then to New Glarus in 1980, where he practiced until he retired in July 2006. He was an active member of the Wisconsin Dental Association and American Dental Association.
In addition to the practice of orthodontics, everywhere he lived (including their townhouse in Columbus), Don engaged in his favorite endeavor: farming. He proudly raised Jersey cattle. He would get up at 5 a.m., milk the cows and then clean up and practice orthodontics for the rest of the day. He also enjoyed hatching and raising chickens and kept horses for the kids to ride. He looked forward to attending area county fairs to check out the 4-H exhibits, watch the harness races and chat with other livestock owners. Don and Pattie were editors of the Wisconsin Jersey Booster magazine in the 1970's.
Don adored sports and was a fixture at his children's and grandchildren's sporting events. Whether they were playing, coaching or officiating, Don loved to attend their games. He also delighted in watching college baseball and attending the College World Series in Omaha with his family.
Don enjoyed traveling to State and National Parks. Summer vacations were often spent driving on unimproved, winding roads through the Rocky Mountains to meet his dental school friends and their families. In recent years, he especially looked forward to visiting Door County and Bayfield to pick berries for his homemade jam. He never took the same route home from a trip and purposely took "short cuts" that took twice as long as the main route.
Besides making people's smiles' beautiful as his profession, he brought smiles to the faces of anyone he met with his exuberant personality. "Exuberant" is defined as "joyously unrestrained". Don was one of a kind: joyously unrestrained.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother-in-law, Don Page.â₨ Great memories will continue to be shared by his wife, Patricia, his sister, Jo Page of River Falls, his sons, Thomas (Dagmar) of Pewaukee, and Terrence (Kathleen) of Richland Center, and his daughters, Pamela (George) Keehn of Madison, and Priscilla (Michael) Flynn of Old Frontenac, Minnesota. He has twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren who loved him dearly.
Special thanks to the caring staff at both The Jefferson and Agrace Hospice Care Center. A celebration of life is scheduled at The Jefferson Independent Retirement Center, 9401 Old Sauk Road, Middleton, WI on Sunday, December 21 from 2:30 - 5 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Donald N Moen Memorial Fund, Richland County 4-H Leaders Association, 1000 Highway 14 West, Richland Center, WI 53581.

Cress
Funeral and Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road Madison
608-238-3434
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