Archer, Donald Eugene ‘Gene’

1st husband of Donna Fern(Baker) 2nd husband of Hulda’Billie'(Regehr)Keesling

Burial Date: 2017,  02/17        Age:  89     Lot:  008 K

War: WW II      US Army

Birth:	Jul. 17, 1927 Mercer County Missouri, USA
Death:	Feb. 19, 2017 Hutchinson Reno County Kansas, USA
Donald Eugene Archer, 89, of Hutchinson, died Feb. 19, 2017, at Good Samaritan Society, Hutchinson. He was born to William Earl & Ethel M. Gish Archer July 17, 1927, in Mercer County, Missouri. He was a longtime Medora and Hutchinson resident and a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during World War II. He was a Cost Accountant for Cessna Aircraft, Hutchinson.He attended Union Valley Bible Church and was a member of the American Legion, Hutchinson. He loved going to garage sales, auctions & flea markets, buying and selling antiques; he also was an avid hunter. He married Donna Fern Baker, June 10, 1947, at Saxman. She died on Oct. 31, 1996. He married Hulda “Billie” Regehr Keesling, May 5, 1998, at Laughlin, Nev. Survivors are his wife Billie of the home; three daughters, Carol & Mike Wenzel, Kermit, Texas, Connie & Joe Wilson, Rapid City, Iowa, Jan & Roger Sell, Hutchinson; step-son, Gary Keesling, The Villages, Fla.; step-daughter, Robin & Ralph Hanna, Winfield, Kan.; four grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, 12 step-great-grandchildren, one step-great-great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his son, Ron Archer; two brothers, William Earl Archer Jr., Robert “Bob” Archer; sister, Helen Farthing. Funeral Service will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, at Birzer Funeral Home, Sterling, Pastor Steve Hodgson officiating. Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m., until service time on Thursday. Burial will be in Sterling Community Cemetery with Military Honors by Ft. Riley Honor Guard. Memorial suggested to Reno County Hospice or Young At Hearts Ministry in care of the funeral home.  Family links: Spouse: Donna Fern Baker Archer (1928 – 1996) Burial: Sterling Cemetery Sterling Rice County Kansas, USA Created by: Dave Hall Record added: Feb 21, 2017 Find A Grave Memorial# 176555363Donald Eugene Archer, 89, of Hutchinson, passed away Feb. 19, 2017. He served in the Army of Occupation in Japan after WWII.He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Donna Fern (Baker) Archer in 1996; and son, Ronald Earl Archer in 2013. Survived by: three daughters, Connie Wilson (Joe), Carol Wenzel (Mike), Jan Sell (Roger), grandchildren and great-grandchildren.When Gene’s children were young, he loved to take them to cut firewood, check traps, many fishing trips, camping out on sandbars, many family vacations to Colorado, growing watermelons and selling them out of the back of his old truck. Many fun watermelon feeds on the back patio with Gene and Donna Fern’s flowerbeds all around.Funeral service is at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Birzer Funeral Home in Sterling.A celebration of the lives and times of Gene, Donna Fern and Ronnie Archer for old friends and family will be held at a later date.