| St. Could Pilgrim Don Fleischhacker passes away |
| Our Defending Circle is broken. It is a Circle of Brotherhood. We have built a great fraternal society upon the precepts of Purity, Aid and Progress, and have seen in it the realization of our goal. We placed each member in this Defending Circle so it would shield those within. Only yesterday we let our thoughts dwell on that Circle, and our hearts felt pride and exaltation, but today the Circle is broken and we stand helpless in the presence of death.... It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that I inform you of the passing of St. Cloud Pilgrim Donald Fleischhacker Don was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 3, 1935, the son of Thelma (nee Farr) and Frank Fleischhacker. He attended Washington High School in St. Paul. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves where he served for over 7 years. Don’s brother, Frank, lived next to a woman named Audrey Salava. Audrey would babysit Frank’s children and one day while she was mowing the lawn, Don sent his nephew over to ask her, “How’s about a date?” Audrey sent the nephew back and said that Uncle Don needed to ask her himself. Don took Audrey on a double date to see “Gone with the Wind” where Audrey fell asleep. They fell in love and were married on February 20, 1954 at Maternity of Mary Church. After getting married, they lived with Don’s parents until they got their apartment on Como Avenue. They raised their four girls in St. Paul. Don was an insurance salesman at John Hancock Insurance Company, he was the administrator at the Moose Lodge on English Street, and the owner of Esquire Restaurant & Bar (later named “The Food Factory”). At the restaurant, they had a live radio show called “Live from the Rainbow Room”. After retiring, he became a bus driver for ISD 622 and for Minnesota Coaches. While President Barack Obama was running for president in 2008, Don drove him during his Minnesota campaign. He was one of the main drivers for the University of Minnesota’s sports teams. He met many people while driving and his social personality thrived during that time. He was always teasing people, a true jokester. Don loved having dogs for pets, especially shelties. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing at the family cabin on Mud Hen Lake. He had a huge baseball hat collection with hundreds of hats. Whenever possible, he would go outside to be with the dogs, work on the yard, and do landscaping projects. Don was such a good-hearted man, always willing to help people. During his time at the restaurant, if he ever saw someone in need, he would go out and get them food and clothes. Don was a dedicated member of Transfiguration Catholic Church where he helped to hand out the bulletins for Mass. At the Moose Lodge, they always had a card club going on and he loved Cribbage and Pinochle. For the past 5 years, Don had battled with Dementia. Audrey was able to keep him home with her until December of 2019. Don passed away at Lyngblomsten Care Center on Sunday, June 21, 2020. He is preceded in death by his parents, Thelma and Frank Fleischhacker; his brothers, Frank “Buddy” Fleischhacker Jr., Neil (the late Delores) Fleischhacker, and Jerry Fleischhacker; his sisters, Vivian, Elaine, and Norma; his brother-in-law, Alex Salava; and his sister-in-law, Delores Deeb. Don is survived by his wife of 66 years, Audrey Fleischhacker of Maplewood; his daughters, Debbie (Dwight Schuebel) Marcellus of Turtle Lake, WI, Roxanne (Glen) White of Long Prairie, MN, Suzanne (Doug) Dabe of St. Paul, MN, and Dawn Fleischhacker of Maplewood, MN; 6 grandchildren, Donald "Don" Marcellus, Thomas "Tom" (Lisa) Marcellus, Cassandra (Jacob) Field, Larry (Jessica) Marion, Heather Dabe, and Rebecca Dabe; 13 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Jan Fleischhacker, Betty Jean Fleischhacker, Terrie Salava, and Theresa (Jim) Schmidt; beloved puppies, Reba and Bindi; and many other family and friends. There will be a private service held at Union Cemetery in Maplewood for close family and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Don’s family. |
