Louis Donath

Lt. Col. Louis Rowland Donath, AF (RET.) was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 8th, 1919, and died at home in Hot Springs on December 30, 2012, at the age of 93. He was the son of Elizabeth & Louis Donath. Lou graduated from Carl Schurz High School in Chicago in 1938. He joined the army in 1942 and in that same year was accepted for Army Air Corp flight training. He completed advanced multi-engine flight training in 1943, and was an instructor on multi-engine flight training in 1943 and 1944 in Stuttgart, AR. In September 1944, he married a local girl, Olive Jean Jensen and they were married for 68 years. In 1944 he was stationed in the Phillipine Islands with the 19th Bomb Squadron, 22nd Bomb Group, 5th Air Force, Red Raiders serving in WWII as a bomber pilot flying B24s. In 1945 he transferred to the 380th Bomb Group. In 1968 he joined the Air Force Reserves and after 37 years of both active duty and service in the reserves, he retired from the military in 1979 attaining the rank of Lt. Colonel. After active duty, Lou and Olive Jean resided in Stuttgart where Lou had a career as an agricultural pilot with Donath Flying Service and then managed and flew for Farmers’ Aerial Seeders Corp. For many years Lou was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Stuttgart and served on the church council as president, vice-president, financial secretary, as a church trustee, & on the church cemetery board. Lou held leadership positions in many professional & civic organizations including the Stuttgart School Board, the City Council, and the Civil Air Patrol. He also served as president of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association 1966-67 and in 1982 was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership. Lou was a resident of Stuttgart from 1944 to 1989; and most recently resided in Hot Springs where he was a member of First Lutheran Church. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Olive Jean Jensen Donath; two daughters, Jean Ann Donath Dickson (David) of Hot Springs, AR, and Gail Donath McKenzie (Dan) of Heber Springs, AR; four grandchildren Erika Dickson Lenartowick (Jason) of Rose Bud; Alisa Dickson of Hot Springs; Aaron Dickson (Christine) of Arkadelphia; and Kelly Lauren McKenzie of Heber Springs. He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister Bette Farhuss and one brother Robert Donath. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 3rd, at 9:30 am at First Lutheran Church in Hot Springs followed by the funeral service at 10 am officiated by Pastor Jonathan Beyer. A graveside service will be at Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Stuttgart at 2:30 pm officiated by Pastor Glen Larsen. Memorials may be made to First Lutheran Church, 105 Village Road, Hot Springs, AR 71913; or Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 209 S. Grand Ave., Stuttgart, AR 72160; or Arkansas Grand Prairie Museum, 921 E. 4th St., Stuttgart, AR 72160.