Donnie A. “Papa” Alderman, 79, was called home to Heaven on Thursday, August 26, 2021. He passed from this life peacefully surrounded by his wife and children in the Coffeyville Regional Memorial Hospital.
Papa was born on December 31, 1941, in Coffeyville to Emery Alderman and Mildred Mooneyham. He grew up and attended school in Coffeyville.
On September 6, 1958, he married the love of his life, Carmen Jo Wright at Miami, Oklahoma. They made their home in Coffeyville until moving to Odessa, Texas where they lived for six years before returning to Coffeyville in 1966 where they raised their three children, Patti, Howard, and Tommy.
Don was Maintenance Superintendent at Funk Mfg. (now John Deere Coffeyville Works) for 35 years until retiring in December 2000. In his younger years, he delivered donuts for Goldies Pie Shop, caddied at the golf course, stacked pins at the bowling alley, drove a 7-up truck, worked at Pinkies Liquor store, was a mechanic at Wright’s Auto Repair, and a machinist at Jensen’s.
Papa first met Jesus and became filled with the Holy Spirit at the Church of Acts in Coffeyville in the early 1980’s, under Brother Dan and Sister Pat Hargis. Later he was a member of the Tyro Christian Church. Don enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting, barbequing and smoking the best meats anyone ever tasted, camping in Colorado and Arizona, and traveling with his beautiful wife. But his greatest joy was hosting October bonfires and hayrides, summer barbeques and swimming parties, Fourth of July extravaganzas, and huge Thanksgiving and Christmas parties and feasts, all attended by his family and extended family. To Papa there were no strangers at the Alderman home…all were welcome and all were family.
Survivors include his wife, Carmen Jo of the home; his children, Patti Jo and Mike Gillihan of Illinois, Howard Allen and Daniece of Illinois and Tommy DeWayne of Coffeyville; one sister, Vickie Edington and husband, Mike of Elk City, Kansas, six grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and many extended grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral Services celebrating Don’s life will be on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 2:00 p.m., at the Tyro Christian Church in Tyro, Kansas with David Bycroft and Brian Ingalls officiating. Burial will follow in the Robbins Cemetery west of Coffeyville.
Friends may call on Tuesday, August 31st from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville.
The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society; contributions may be left with or mailed in care of David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 306 North Cline Road, Coffeyville, KS 67337.
To leave a message for the family please visit www.dwbfh.com
David W. Barnes Funeral Home of Coffeyville is in charge of arrangements
