Donald LeRoy Grant

Donald “Don” LeRoy Grant, 91, of Bennett, Iowa, passed away on December 14, 2025, in DeWitt. He was born on December 17, 1933, in Leasburg, Missouri, to Christopher C. Grant and Geraldine V. Bell Grant.

After honorably serving his country in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, Don spent 35 years as a maintenance mechanic for Oscar Mayer in Davenport until his retirement.

Don married Scheryl Marie Peterson on July 21, 1977, in Mountain Home, Arkansas; the couple shared 46 years of marriage together.

In 1989, Don and Scheryl purchased his dream property north of Bennett—just over nine acres with a pond and an old farmhouse in need of some TLC. Don loved a remodel project, and together they grew bountiful tomatoes in the garden, harvested black walnuts from the many trees, and eventually built a dog training and kennel business on the property.

In his earlier years, Don enjoyed camping and fishing with his first wife, Kathleen, and their three children: John, Lynn, and Lori. He often joked that although he loved fishing, he never found time to fish in his own pond. Don also enjoyed spending time in the woods, cutting timber to heat his home—a pastime that carried with it fond memories of earlier days spent with his brothers, Fred and Robert (Bob), when they worked together to provide wood for the family homestead.

Don had a lifelong love of animals. What began as one or two beef cattle grew into a small herd of eleven at one point on the Bennett homestead. Dogs were always part of his life, with countless photos of him as a young husband and father alongside his favorite family dog. That love continued throughout his life, as he and Scheryl raised many Golden Retrievers—never just one, but not more than four at a time.

Lynn and Lori are deeply saddened by his passing but are comforted in knowing that he has joined Scheryl and his son, John, and is now at peace.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Fry Funeral Home in Tipton, Iowa. A private ceremony will follow at Rock Island National Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at www.fryfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don’s name to the Gary Sinise Foundation, dedicated to serving and supporting veterans (www.garysinisefoundation.org).

Don was preceded in death by his wife, Scheryl; son, John C. Grant; parents, Christopher and Geraldine Grant; and siblings, Fred, Dormae, and Robert (Bob) Grant.