Don Putnam

Thousand Oaks, California

Don Merle Putnam, 95 years, 3 months, 2 days old, passed away on June 19, 2017 at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Don was born March 17, 1922 in Gordon, Nebraska to Charles and Sarah Bragg Putnam.

Don was a retired General Contractor and owned and operated a Construction Co. in Thousand Oaks, CA. Don always had a strong work ethic, even as a child.

He was a WWII U.S. Army Veteran and a Purple Heart recipient. He served in the Army of Occupation in Germany.

On November 19, 1949 Don and Frieda (Mayer) were united in marriage in Germany.


Don had attended church services with Frieda for many years and loved to travel with her. He enjoyed work, music, bird watching, and caring for their cats. Don was a kind and very generous man. He cared deeply for his nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Frieda in 2007, four sisters, Juanita Rogers, Faye Kidd, Marie Arbuthnot, and Leanna Borders, and one brother, Herbert Putnam, nieces, Melva Lupton and Linda Kidd, and nephew, David Kidd.

Don is survived by nieces, Norma Stillings, Ava, MO, Anna Goos, Lee's Summit, MO, Laura Bonner, Baytown, TX, Sarah Riggs, Greenville, IL, Cheryl Raybuck, Rogersville, MO, Sandy Jackson, Rogersville, MO, nephews, James Arbuthnot, Highland, IL, Steven Arbuthnot, Springfield, IL, and Mike Borders, Seymour, MO, caregiver, Yasmin Robles, Oxnard, CA, many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services for Don will be Monday, June 26, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in the Clinkingbeard Chapel, Ava, MO. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to service in the chapel. Burial will be in the Bragg Cemetery, Ava, MO with Full Military Honors by Troy Herd American Legion Post 112. Officiating will be Pastor Robert Sorensen. Memorials may be made to Bragg Cemetery in care of the funeral home.