Donald John Zakostelecky, 88

April 8, 1938 - 

June 28, 2026 

 

Donald John Zakostelecky, 88, of Cresco, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at Regional Health Services of Howard County. 

Donald was born on April 8, 1938, in rural Howard County, Iowa, to Frank and Abby (Horkey) Zakostelecky. He attended school in Protivin and later graduated from Cresco High School.

After completing high school, Don held various jobs. It was during this time he met Ida Reuter and they were married on September 2, 1961 in Cresco, Iowa. Together they raised four children, Lori, Dean, Kelly, and Susan.

They started their family while living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Don had already developed a passion for farming and couldn’t wait to buy his first tractor- John Deere of course. In 1967, Don bought his first piece of farm land and moved his  family to an acreage near Lime Springs, Iowa. Over the years, he continued to build his farm and raised various crops and livestock. His love for farming never faded.

Don cared deeply for and was very proud of his family. He enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Time spent with family often occurred at Don and Ida’s cabin in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. There, Don enjoyed boating, good food, and making countless memories.

Don was a man of faith and shared that faith with his family. He was also proud of his Czech heritage. He was able to speak some Czech and liked to share that with his family. He also enjoyed many traditional Czech foods.

Humor was often present and most recently he was known for saying “ I am 88 years old. I can’t even count that high!” Don enjoyed the simple things in life and was known for not being frivolous”

Don is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Ida; his children, Lori Zakostelecky of Cresco, Iowa, Dean (Kim) Zakostelecky of Cresco, Iowa, Kelly (Kevin) Kerian of Cresco, Iowa, and Susan (Karl) Clausen of Rochester, Minnesota; his grandchildren, Jacob (Kim) Zakostelecky, Kasie (Dusty) Smith, Brandon (Lauren) Kerian, Miranda (Kevin) Englebert, Dalton (Mason) Kerian, Sydney Clausen, and Kendall Clausen; and his great-grandchildren, Amelia, Tristan, Parker, Myla, Leah, Ellie, Tate, Graham, Sylvie, Luther, and Freya.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Abby and his brother Francis Zakostelecky.

A funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday July 3, 2026, at the Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home in Cresco, with Father Jacob Rouse officiating. A visitation will be held an hour prior to the service on Friday. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. 

Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home in Cresco is assisting the family.