Donald Koenders, age 94, of Brookings, died Monday, October 17, 2011, at the Pipestone County Medical Center in Pipestone, Minnesota. Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Friday, October 21, 2011, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings, with interment in the Castlewood Cemetery. Visitations will be from 5-8 P.M. Thursday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. Memorials and cards may be sent in care of Judy Bevers, 55468 Hwy. 121, Crofton, NE 68730. Donald Grant Koenders was born December 17, 1916, at Castlewood, South Dakota, to Gerrett and Dena (Hoftiezer) Koenders. Don grew up on the family farm near Castlewood and graduated from Castlewood High School. On November 26, 1938, he married Monica Fitzgerald at Castlewood. They lived at Castlewood and moved to Brookings in 1959. Don was the manager of the Magee farm near Hayti, worked for Oseby Construction and SDSU in Brookings, and was a custodian at the Brookings Middle School and bus driver from 1966 until 1989. Monica died June 30, 1999. Don was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Brookings. He served as an elder from 1987 to 1989 and deacon from 1993 to 1995 and 2005 to 2007. Survivors include five children: Kay (Dave) Paulson of Park Rapids, Minnesota, Judy (Ken) Bevers of Crofton, Nebraska, Dennis Koenders of Newberry, South Carolina, Rich (Isis) Koenders of Panama City Beach, Florida, and Tony (Cindy) Koenders of Pipestone, Minnesota; two daughters-in-law: Kari Koenders of Sioux Falls and Mary Koenders of Raleigh, North Carolina; a sister, Jean Smiley, of St. Paul, Minnesota; 24 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; a special friend, Virginia Kasten and re-hab buddy, Garnet Denbrook. He was preceded in death by his wife; two sons, Gerry and Greg; a daughter-in-law, Karen Koenders; great-granddaughter, Joslyn Mueller; and sisters, Loretta and Helen.