Donald Hendrickson

Donald Franklin Hendrickson, Jr., age 70, went to see Jesus on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020. He was born November 28th, 1949 in Nagoya Japan to Donald Franklin Sr. & Eleanor (Melhus) Hendrickson. With his father being in the military, he was born in Nagoya Japan and returned to the US when he was 3 years old. He graduated from Brooklyn Center High School in 1967 where he played football and ran track & field. During the Vietnam War, he was drafted into the National Guard training in Fort Ord, CA. After this, he attended Anoka Community College for 2 years where he was an avid track & field runner & hurdler and held the school record for high hurdles. On July 29th, 1972, he was united in marriage to Connie Groening at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church in Kansas. They just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary. Don loved to work on his '68 Ford Mustang and would ask Connie to take him to different junk-yards to find parts. This was the time where he became a FORD man! He attended many car swap meets & sold his own auto parts. His kids loved to help their dad at swap meets. He worked as an auto parts salesman & manager until he retired in January 2017. He had a love for hockey & drove the zamboni in between games. He loved his dog Flopper, but most of all, he loved his children & grandchildren. Andrea, Melissa & Jeremy were his "3 little cherubs." His 6 amazing grandchildren meant the world to him. He enjoyed watching them play sports, listening to their stories and spending time with them. He cherished the moments when his kids & grandkids would come to visit. Don loved his family with all his heart. Survivors include his wife, Connie Jo, Brownsdale, MN; daughters, Andrea (Tom) Tapp, Dodge Center, MN, Melissa (Chris) Miller, Divide, CO; son, Jeremy (Melissa) Hendrickson, Lakeville, MN; six grandchildren, Carter, Evan, Makenna, Madelyn, CJ & Braelyn; sisters, Carol Phillips, Kennesaw, GA, Susan (Gary) Serkasevich, Welch MN, brother in law, Terry Pilacinski, Gaylord, MN, and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Debbie Pilacinski. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, 8/29 @ 11 am, Todd Park Pavilion #2, Austin MN. A Magnolia tree will be planted in his memory at Legacy of Brownsdale. Interment will be held at a later date at Fort Snelling Cemetery in Minneapolis MN. --

Service Information

Cemetery

Fort Snelling National Cemetery
7601 34th Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55450

Celebration of Life

Saturday, August 29 2020
11:00 AM

Todd Park Pavillion #2

Austin MN