Donald L. Abraham, 93, of Valentine, NE, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at South Haven Living Center in Wahoo, NE. Don resided in Valentine all of his life and believed that there was no better place to live. He was united in marriage to a beautiful woman, Mary Beth Hood, on October 18, 1947, less than a year after Bessie’s sister, Helen arranged a blind date. Don was a generous and devoted family man raising five children with Mary Beth and sending all of the children to Creighton University.

Don attended Kemper Military School after graduating from Valentine High School, he attended Creighton University before and after WWII. He was a highly decorated Army Air Corps pilot stationed in the Pacific Theater and was awarded five Bronze Stars and many campaign decorations.

Don was a well respected businessman, retiring at 78 after owning Abraham Wholesale, a successful family owned business that operated in Valentine for 77 years. He was a very social person who attended 2 or 3 coffee meetings a day with the local “guys”. He enjoyed bird hunting in South Dakota and he traveled on fishing trips to Baja Mexico, Canada near the Arctic Circle, Lake Michigan and all of the Sand Hills lakes. Don was an avid automotive enthusiast and was still trying to purchase a red Cadillac shortly before his death. He enjoyed walking while carrying one of his signature canes and every business in town knew he was coming by his famous whistle. While fishing or sitting on his back deck he loved smoking fine cigars. Don was a faithful lifetime member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church and a 4th Degree Knight.

He is survived by wife, Mary Beth (Hood) Abraham; children, Tom (Linda)  Abraham of Omaha, Donna (Ed) Watson of Traverse City, MI, Nancy (Bob) Olson of Omaha, Colleen (Dan) Moosman of Valentine, Jim Abraham of Melbourne, Australia; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by parents; infant son, Billy Abraham; brother, Sid Abraham.