Donald G. "Don" Wickenhagen, 75, a longtime Wenatchee Valley resident, passed away on January 8, 2010, at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. He was born on August 15, 1934, in Dade County, MO to the late James and Abba (Lawson) Wickenhagen. When Don was nine years old, the family moved to the Chelan and Manson area, where he attended school and worked in the fruit industry. In 1955, he married Deanne Lindsey and they had four sons, Rusty, Victor, Perry and Mark. In 1966, he moved to the Eugene and Albany area of Oregon, where Don became a Welder-Fabricator for Systems Manufacturing, Ore-Met and later Teledyne Wah-Chang. He met and was later married to Montana Matthews on April 5, 1972, at Sparks, NV. Their son, James, was born in Albany and they continued to make their home in Oregon. In 1980, they moved to Wenatchee, where he returned to work in the fruit industry. He worked for Crandall Fruit and Cavallini Orchards. They moved to East Wenatchee in 1987, where they have since continued to make their home.

He is survived by his wife, Monty of East Wenatchee; five sons, Rusty (Koreen) of North Bend, WA, Victor of Boise, ID, Perry (Barbara) of Omak, Mark (Lena) of Spokane and James of East Wenatchee; two brothers, Robert (Lynn) of East Wenatchee and James of Wenatchee; four sisters, Tillie Pettet of Ellensburg, Suzie (Gary) Valentine of Omak, Shirley (Homer) Collins of Wenatchee and Hilda (Jack) Ellis of Spokane; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and longtime friends, Chuck Walker, Stan Sheets, Ken Fulton and Ron Browning. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, infant Henry Ray and Raymond "Poke"; two sisters, Pansy Blaske and Vesta Kloth; and two grandsons.

A Remembrance Gathering will be held at a later date. Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee.