Donald Sieler

Donald Sieler, 81, Bismarck, died August 19, 2009, at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck. Services will be held at 3:00 pm Saturday at First Baptist Church, Bismarck, with Rev. Steve Wisthoff officiating. Burial will be held in Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 3PM – 9PM, Friday at Eastgate Funeral Service. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Don Sieler was born February 9, 1928, on a farm near Wishek, ND, to his parents John P. and Elizabeth Mueller Sieler. In his elementary years he lived in Sunnyside, WA, where his dad worked in Handford, WA, at the atomic bomb plant. They later moved back to Wishek. Don attended Wishek High School until his sophomore year when his father died suddenly and he had to quit school to work and help support his widowed mother. He worked putting the Wishek City Water Works in; giving all of hispaycheck to his mother except for $5.00 a week for himself. When that work was completed he went to work in Bismarck as a carpenter and later moved to Billings, MT. where he worked selling real estate and as a carpenter. On August 10, l952, Don married Arlys Herr, from Wishek, at the Calvary Baptist Church in Billings, MT. They went on their honeymoon to the Yellowstone National Park. They moved to Bismarck, ND, in 1953 to be near their immediate families. Don worked there as a carpenter and later went to work for Conrad Publishing for 20 years as a pressman, until Conrad Publishing closed down. He then worked as a printing salesman until he again found work as a pressman with United Printing. He worked for United Printing for 15 years until his retirement in 1992. Don enjoyed taking his family, as they were growing up, to the Yellowstone National Park and the beautiful Black Hills of SD; that was tradition for him. Later in life he had a great time with the many weekends spent in Medora with his grown family and their spouses. The ice cream shop was his favorite and a must. Don loved his retirement. He enjoyed gardening, his yard, wood working and fixing things. Most of all he enjoyed playing his electric Hawaiian guitar and singing along with his wife, Arlys, who played the piano and sang with him. They went out to the different "Care Centers" and entertained the residents there. They called themselves the "Happy Tunes.” Don loved not only the music he made for them but also shaking the residence hands and visiting with them. Don was a people person. Don and Arlys flew once, twice and sometimes three times a year to visit with their son, Jeff, in New Orleans and then Houston, TX. From there they had some very exciting, sightseeing and fun vacations including the World's Fair. Later in life his grandchildren came along. They were his pride and joy. There was nothing that could put a bigger smile on his face and joy in his heart then when his grandchildren were with him and it was very special to him when they called him "Grampa". Don and Arlys spend a lot of time in Houston, TX, with their grandchildren. In Bismarck, every Sunday Grampa always hurried for church so he could see his grandchildren before church started. Don is survived by his wife Arlys; three children, two sons and one daughter, Jerome Marlyce Sieler, Jeff Natalie Sieler, and Lisa Greg Gronberg; his five grandchildren, Reuben, Lucas, and Bianca Sieler, and Logan and Gage Gronberg; his brother, Ron Sieler, Menoken, ND; his sister, Elsie Burgad, Hosmer, SD; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one grandson, Gabriel Gronberg; and his parents.

Donald Sieler

February 9, 1928 - August 19, 2009