Donald Russell Ziegler
(1923 - 2007)

DEFIANCE - Donald Russell Ziegler, 84, of Defiance, died Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at the Defiance Regional Medical Center, Defiance.
Born July 24, 1923, at Toledo, to Alma (Reiter) and Donald B. Ziegler, he married Ara Jean Treece on Aug. 13, 1944, and she preceded him in death on Nov. 3, 2006.
A World War II Navy veteran, he had served with Admiral William Halsey with the 3rd Fleet in the Pacific and was a fighter pilot with the VFCN Squadron.
A laborer with the Ohio Department of Transportation and also the Division of Wildlife in Williams County, he had owned Hotel Wellington in Napoleon and Motel Westwood in Defiance. He had also been a teacher with the Miller City schools.
He was a member of the Elks, Moose, Amvets, Eagles, Masonic Lodge and VFW, all of Defiance, and the American Legion of Napoleon.
Surviving are a son, Donald "Randy" (and wife, Debbie) Ziegler of Las Vegas, Nev.; three daughters, Sandy (and husband, Ralph) Bellerue of San Diego, Calif., Sherry (Steve) Levering of Dallas, Texas, and Sally (Bob) Steffel of Defiance; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Doug B. Ziegler. Visitation will be Thursday from 4-6 p.m. in the Mast-Mock-Hoffman-Hanenkrath-Clevenger-Schaffer Funeral Home, Defiance.
Services will be Thursday at 6 p.m. in the funeral home with military honors to be accorded following the service.
Memorials may be made to the VeteransÕ Memorial Honor Flight.