Joseph Donald Musil, 99, of Ely, died Thursday, April 30, 2020 at Cottage Grove Place, following a long and blessed life with his children, grandchildren and beloved wife.

He was born November 20, 1920 of parents Joseph F. Musil and Augusta (Sedivy) Musil in Cleburne, Riley County, Kansas.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Bernice Edna Sophia (Carlson) Musil.  He was a baptized member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Cleburne, Kansas.  He attended Cleburne, Kansas grade school and attended Cleburne, Kansas rural High School, 1933-1937.

In 1937 to 1941 he attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, graduating with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.  He also graduated with a M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1945, and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa in 1968, both in Electrical Engineering.

In 1941-1943 he was employed as a design engineer in the Industrial Motor Division of Westinghouse Electric Company in East Pittsburgh, PA.  In 1944-1945 he was employed as an engineer with the Kellex Corporation of the Manhattan District Corp of Engineers at New York City in the Oak Ridge, Tennessee Atomic Energy Project.  In 1946-1947 he was an Instructor and Research Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, PA Electrical Engineering and Physics Department.

In 1947 to 1957 he was employed as an electrical design engineer for the Electric Machinery Manufacturing Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It was there he married his wife, Bernice Edna Carlson, then a nurse at Bethesda Lutheran Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota.  She, also being from Cleburne, Kansas, they went back to be married at her home church, Mariadahl Lutheran Church, rural Cleburne, Kansas on June 29, 1949.  To this union, three children were born in St. Paul, Joseph Evan, now in Ely, Iowa, Mary Ann Musil, now in Helena, Montana and Daniel Philip now in Ely.

In August 1957, Donald moved his family, to Ames, Iowa where he taught Electrical Engineering and pursued further graduate work at Iowa State University at Ames.  A fourth child, Martha Louise Musil, now of Texcoco, Mexico, was born in Ames. While residing in Ames, they became active members of the Gilbert Lutheran Church.  Before retiring from Iowa State University in 1984, as Associate Professor, four years were spent with this wife and four young children, 1961 to 1965, as a missionary teacher of science and mathematics at Ilboru Lutheran Secondary School, Arusha, Tanzania adding freshmen and sophomore college levels to the Cambridge high school system there. Also in 1971 to 1972, under Iowa State University auspice, he and wife and Martha, then in grade 8 and in the year of integration, went to Prairie View Agriculture and Mechanics University, Prairie View, Texas to teach Electrical Engineering.

In 1985 he and his wife moved to Ely, Iowa to be near their sons Joe and Dan, and their families, in their retirement. They were members of St. John Lutheran Church in Ely, were active in Ely Senior Dining, Town and Country Club, Ely Friendship Club, and Good Earth Garden Club. He served a term on the Ely City Council and on the Heritage Area on Aging Agency. He was a Life Member of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers.

He will be remembered as a loving and devoted father to his four surviving married children and grandfather to his thirteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. His wife, Bernice, preceded him in death on January 11, 2004. His living desire was that his children and grandchildren have an equal or better life and more opportunities than was offered him. God Bless his memory.

Memorials may be directed to the St. John Lutheran Church Library.  Celebration of Life services will be Livestreamed starting at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2020 on Brosh Chapel's Facebook page.  Reverend Brian Middleswarth from St. John Lutheran Church in Ely, will preside over the services.  Burial will be in Rogers Grove Cemetery near Ely, following the services.

Celebration of Life: https://vimeo.com/417281472

https://vimeo.com/420311765

Photo gallery: https://www.broshchapel.com/obituaries/galleries?o_id=6973002