Services for Donald Rasmussen

Donald was born in Brown County, MN  to Edwin and Myrtle (Henry) Rasmussen.  After he graduated from Greenbush, MN high school he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was a radar technician, then sent to officer training and became a fighter pilot in the F86D Sabre Jet. He was stationed at several U.S.bases and deployed to Japan during the Korean War.  He resigned in 1987.  He married Meryl Graham and they had four children, David, Dane, Scott, and Heather.He attended North Dakota State University and graduated from University of Minnesota, Moorhead.   He taught at Baudette high school then joined the U.S. Customs and served at Baudette and Pinecreek, MN.  He returned to Baudette then went into Bureau Headquarters in Washington, D.C.as a systems analyst. While there he was appointed to  a Cabinet Committee on Intenational Control (CCINC) and, with a team, taught courses in Romania, Yugoslavia, Germany, and Israel.  He returned to Baudette as port director and later became an instructor at Customs Academy at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) at Brunswick, Georgia.   Returning to Baudette he soon moved to Canada as director of U.S. Customs Pre-Clearance at Winnipeg, Manitoba,  International Airport.   He retired in 1988 and returned to Baudette and managed a fish-processing plant.  

He had been a student athlete playing football and hockey.  He was a true sportsman and outdoorsman, loved hunting and fishing.  He earned membership in Mensa International and had patents for a game carrier and a shotmaker hockey net and a copyright on a goose decoy. 

Donald and Meryl spent winters in Florida and Arizona before settling in the Rio Grande Valley where they have been Winter Texans for 15 years.  They made treasured friendships, enjoyed dancing, playing cards and the many events planned for park residents.  Donald's favorite pastime was golf and he played every day, weather permitting.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents, son Dane, brother-in-law Donald Prosser,  nephew Ron Prosser, sister-in-law Betty Mitchell, sister Betty Prosser, and niece Renee Engstrom.   He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Meryl,  sons David and Scott (Karen), daughter Heather (Lou Murray), sister Ann Wennberg, sister-in-law Donna Beaudry, grandson Zachary, granddaughter Isabella, and many nieces and nephews.