Greeley Tribune Greeley, Colorado 11-13-01 : Donald Bittel : Donald Henry Bittel, 65, of Greeley died Sunday, Nov. 11, at his home with : his family and under the care of Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern : Colorado, Inc. Mr. Bittel was born on Sept. 11, 1936, to Peter and Armina : Marie (Schmidt) Bittel in Logan, Kan. He was the seventh of 10 children. On : Sept. 26, 1959, he married Barbara Ann Shaw at Saint Phillips and James : Catholic Church in Phillipsburg, Kan. Mr. Bittel grew up around Logan and : graduated from Densmore High School. He went into the Army in 1956, serving : some months in Germany. He worked as a carpenter in Kansas and Nebraska for : a few years and then moved his family to Colorado in 1960. When Mr. Bittel : came to Colorado, he learned the electrical trade. He joined the IBEW Local : No. 68 and went into commercial and industrial wiring. He spent 32 years as : a loyal employee of Empire Electrical working at the IBM Plant in Boulder. : Mr. Bittel was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 9565 in : Broomfield. He raised a family of five children in Broomfield, then built a : new home in Erie in 1979. He retired in 1997, and he and his wife moved to : Greeley. Mr. Bittel was a lifelong member of the Catholic church and active : in his faith community. He was an avid gardener and woodworker/carpenter. He : enjoyed the Denver Broncos, western music and being outdoors. Survivors are : his wife, Barbara; four daughters, Suzanne Elder of Kersey, Sheila Murren of : Newnan, Ga., Shirley Little of Yuma, Ariz., and Sondra Raner of Greeley; a : son, Steven Bittel of Denver; his mother, Marie Bittel of Logan, Kan.; two : sisters, Charlotte Broyles of Logan and Katherine Scott of Sutherland, Neb.; : four brothers, Leroy, Clarence, Carroll and Larry Bittel, all of Kansas; and : 13 grandchildren. His father, a sister, two brothers and two brother-in-laws : are deceased. Mass of the Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at : St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Recitation of the rosary and Celebration of : Life will be at 7 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 915 12th St. : Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from : 1-5 p.m. Wednesday at Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 W. 28th St., Greeley. : Contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern : Colorado, Inc., 2726 W. 11th St. Rd., Greeley 80634 or to Room at the Inn : for the homeless (Interfaith HospitalityNetwork/ www.roomattheinn.org) in : care of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. : : : : _________________________________________________________________ : Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp : : :