Funeral services for Donald Eugene Schoenrock, 89, of Lincoln County will be held Thursday, March 24th at 10:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 23rd from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville. He passed away Friday, March 18th. Mr. Schoenrock was born January 13th, 1927 in Fairbury, Nebraska. Son of Arthur and Anna (Conradi) Schoenrock, he was baptized at Zion United Church of Christ near Fairbury and confirmed in the Lutheran church in Hastings, Nebraska. He attended schools in Jefferson County and Filley, Nebraska and Tech High School in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1944 during WWII, he joined the Merchant Marine and served as a Seaman on 17 different merchant ships in the Pacific for four years. After leaving the Merchant Marine, he worked at Metz Brewery in Omaha, Nebraska. He met Delores Heller, and they were married in 1950 at St. Peters Lutheran Church in Pilger, Nebraska. In 1951, during the Korean War, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy and served four years in the Pacific. Returning to civilian life, he attended Milwaukee School of Engineering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he received an Associate Degree in HVAC. He was then employed by Amana Refrigeration, Amana, Iowa. He and his family moved to Fayetteville in 1968 where Don was part of the original staff at the new Amana plant. He worked with Amana 35 years, retiring in 1992. He was Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America for 25 years. He organized Troop 81 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and then became Scout Master of Troop 461 in Lincoln County. With the Scouts, he hiked many miles of mountains and led three trips to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Don and Mr. Tom Redden were co-chairs and instrumental in organizing the first Relay for Life (benefitting the American Cancer Society) in Lincoln County. He was president of the South Lincoln Ball Park during the growth and expansion of the park next to St. Johns Presbyterian Church, and he was a firm supporter of its growth. The park later became the South Lincoln Sports Plex. In 2009, Don enjoyed a very memorable experience of going on the Honor Flight to Washington DC as a veteran of WWII. An active member of the Highland Rim Civitan Club, he held several offices and was a leader in its fundraising activities. He was a volunteer at Patrick Wellness and Rehab and served on the Lincoln County Election Commission. He loved the outdoors, keeping active with yard work and constantly fixing things. An avid supporter of college baseball, he enjoyed watching his son coach the Memphis Tigers. Don was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon. Don was preceded in death by his parents, his sister (Eunice), and his brother (Stanley). Survivors include his devoted wife of 65 years, Delores of Fayetteville, Tennessee; one daughter, Debra (Wayne) of Tullahoma, Tennessee; two sons, Doug (Linda) of Huntsville, Alabama and Daron (Carol) of Collierville, Tennessee; six grandchildren, Emily and Sarah Barnes, Lauren and Eve Schoenrock, and Erik and Bret Schoenrock; three nieces, Lynette Hopkins, Lorrie Solari, and Jerrie Muir; and many extended family members and friends. The pallbearers are former members of Boy Scout Troop 461. They include Darrell Gray, Johnny Hill, Greg King, Teddy Monks, Todd Monks, Tony Monks, David Pyles, and Allen Sandlin. Honorary pallbearers are Don’s six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lincoln County Good Samaritan Program or to the First Presbyterian Church Adult Fall and Balance class.
