Donald H. "Don" Broom, 82 of Teutopolis, passed away Monday, November 24, 2014 at his home with his loving wife, Bernice and son, Dennis by his side.

A funeral mass will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 29, 2014 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Teutopolis with burial in St. Francis Cemetery with military rites. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday evening at the church with a 7:00 p.m. parish prayer service. Memorials may be made to ARC Community Support Systems in Teutopolis or to H.S.H.S. St. Anthony Memorial Hospital Home Care in Effingham. Bauer Funeral Home in Teutopolis is assisting the family with arrangements. www.bauerfh.com

Don was born July 4, 1932, the son of Donald M. Broom and Helen Hoelscher. Henry and Theresa Hoelscher, his loving aunt and uncle, raised him along with their 10 children. They treated Don as one of their own.

Don left school after his freshman year at Teutopolis High School to help on Uncle Henry and Aunt Theresa's farm. He also served as a farmhand for the Ferd Thoele, Gus Deters and Joe Pals farm. When Don was 17, he enlisted in the National Guard and was stationed at Camp Cook in Monterey, California. He was released from active duty in 1951, and began working as a plumber at Weber Brothers in Teutopolis shortly thereafter.

Don met Bernice while they were both working at Webers, and they wed on June 23, 1956. He worked for Illini Plumbing and Heating in 1966 and became a member of Local 149 Plumbers and Pipefitters. In 1967, he began working for Wente Plumbing and Heating in Effingham and continued there until 1979. After that, he worked directly out of the union and for several different employers: University of Illinois, Natkin Corporation and Urban Mechanical. He served as a foreman on many jobs throughout his career. His greatest accomplishments as a plumber were as the General Foreman during the construction of the Veterinary Clinic and as Superintendant during construction of the Beckman Institute, both at the University of Illinois, working for Urban Mechanical.

Don was a lifelong member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Teutopolis and the Holy Name Society. He was a member of the American Legion Post 924 in Teutopolis, where he served as Commander and Sergeant at Arms for many years. Don was a member of the Teutopolis Fire Protection District for over 25 years, a member of the Knights of Columbus; the Teutopolis Band Boosters and the Teutopolis Sports Backers. He also served as an election judge on numerous occasions. During his retirement, he and Bernice delivered Meals on Wheels and escorted the children of Teutopolis Grade School to mass on Thursdays and Fridays. He formed a special bond with many of the children and the kids loved Mr. Broom. Don loved all things "T-Town" and was proud to let everyone know where he lived.

One of Don's most treasured activities was carrying on the tradition of The Three Kings for 40 years. He was Gaspar and traveled the area during the Christmas season with his friends, George Westendorf, Bob Deters, Norbert Lohman and Ralph Westendorf, visiting homes and singing "Das Drei Koenige Lied", The Three Kings song.

His family meant the world to him and it was his greatest treasure. Surviving are Don's wife of 58 years, Bernice of Teutopolis; 5 children, Bob (Anita) of Teutopolis, Dennis (Ellen) of Effingham, Judy (Mike) Ficek of Bloomington, Linda of Alpharetta, GA and Susan (Oscar) Salazar of Normal; 7 grandchildren, Liz Ficek, Jen Ficek, Marty Salazar, Melissa Ficek, Alex Salazar, Tyler Broom and Sofia Salazar; two brothers, Gerald (Nancy) Broom and Clarence (Geri) Guyon; sister, Dolores (John) Kingery.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; uncle and aunt, Henry and Theresa Hoelscher; his sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Stuart Yagow; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Laura and Ray Deters; and also his cousins with whom he was raised, Florence, Joe, John, Francis, Barbara, Margie and Robert.

Don's family would like to thank Dr. Charles Runde, Dr. Pernankel D. Nayak, Hank Habing, Leah Newlin and the entire staff at Runde Clinic for their excellent care and compassion for Don. He's breathing much better in Heaven and is definitely telling the angels his favorite jokes!