Dr. Donald Hicks
Dr. Donald B. Hicks age 85 of Tracy passed away Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Memorial services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Tracy United Methodist Church.
Visitation is 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday at the Tracy Area Funeral Home with a Masonic service at 7:00 p.m. and a prayer service to follow. Interment is in Tracy City Cemetery. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Donald Burgess Hicks was born October 3, 1926 in Tracy, MN to Thomas and Ethel (Burgess) Hicks. He was baptized and confirmed at Nettiewyynnt Church. Don attended grade school in Milroy and received his high school diploma from Pillsbury Academy in Owatonna in 1944. He attended SDSU for one year, and Iowa State University at Ames for two years. Don received his veterinary degree in 1951 as a member of the first graduating class from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the U of M. He was united in marriage to Janet Strebel in Arlington, Minnesota in 1952. To this union four children were born. Janet passed away in 1986. Following his completion of veterinary school, Don started his practice in Tracy, when he purchased Dr. Remington’s vet practice. He continued his private practice until 1974. On January 14, 1989, Don married Olga Mae Daniels at Tracy United Methodist Church. Don served as a State Veterinarian for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health until 1994, when he retired. Don earned the well-deserved title of Veterinarian of the Year in 2005. He was an official Veterinarian at the State Fair for 27 years. He was a lifetime member of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association and American Veterinary Medical Association. For five years, Don was a member of the South Dakota Veterinary Medical Reserve Officers Corps. In 2003, he spent six weeks in California working on an exotic disease task force. He was an alternate for serving in Great Britain during a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. Don served the community in various other capacities as well. He was a member of the Tracy school board, Tracy Fire Department for 20 years, Tracy City Council, Tracy Masonic Lodge, Shriners, and Marshall HAM Radio Club. He was a volunteer driver for Western Community Action, an EMT with the Tracy ambulance service, and was active in the Tracy United Methodist Church. He enjoyed fishing, camping, and taking Senior College courses at SMSU.
Don is survived by his wife Olga Mae; children: Tom Hicks of Grand Marais, MN, Sarah (Jim) Hicks of Minneapolis, MN, Mary (John) Trawick of La Mesa, CA, and Naomi (Mike) Schultz of Brook Park, MN; step children: Steven Daniels of Montevideo, MN and Laurel (Bob) Kindler of Albert Lea, MN; 5 grandchildren; 4 step grandchildren; and 4 step great-grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings: Jean Heller of St. Paul, Dave (Jeanne) Hicks of Tracy, and Ruth Anne (Richard) Doud of Amelia Island, FL; and many other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Janet, granddaughter Janet Martha Schultz, sister Helen Johnson, and step daughter-in-law Kim DeVetter Daniels.
