Donald L. Hulse passed away on April 26, 2020, at the good age of 95, in Cambridge, OH.
Born on June 15, 1924, in a house in Corsica, PA, Donald was the son of Samuel and Vera (Himes) Hulse.
He was the sixth of nine named children: John (Jack), Herbert, William (Bill), Charles (Chub), Catherine (Kate), Lawrence (Sam), Merle died as an infant and Doris Hulse Divler. All preceded Donald in death.
During Donald’s childhood his family lived in Arnold, a town near Pittsburgh. After a long illness, his father died two months before Don turned 13. His mother relocated the family to be close to her relatives in Corsica. In his youth, Don enjoyed playing baseball and basketball. He graduated from Corsica’s high school in 1942. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946.
Don married Edith McNaughton of Strattanville, PA in April 1953. They lived near Pittsburgh in New Kensington and then later in Lower Burrell until they moved to Clarion, PA in 1961. Donald and Edith raised their three girls in Clarion. In November 2015 Don moved to Ohio. He lived comfortably with the help of his oldest daughter and son-in-law.
Throughout his lifetime, Don worked on a variety of jobs. As a teenager, he worked at his uncle’s lumber mill. His pay was given directly to his mother. After leaving the Army Air Corps, Don worked in strip mining and for a railroad company building railroad cars. While in Lower Burrell he worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. After moving to Clarion, Don worked at United Natural Gas Company and the Pennsylvania Highway Department. For many years, he worked as a laborer on construction jobs, mostly in Clarion County. Among the projects Don worked on were: Interstate 80, Piney Dam, Comet Market, several Clarion University buildings, Clarion Elementary School and Clarion High School. After retiring from construction work, he became a custodian for the Clarion Area School District for over eleven years until he retired at age 67. For nine years, he had a second job as the custodian at First Baptist Church.
Don’s hobbies included reading books and watching ballgames. Don also enjoyed walking around Clarion and visiting the library to read the newspaper. He donated the books he bought to the library. For many years, Don could be found helping out family and neighbors by mowing grass and shoveling snow. He would leave the house with his lawnmower or snow shovel and return home hours later. Don regularly drove to “Ebenezer” spring at the bottom of the river hill to fill gallon jugs with fresh spring water.
Don took his citizenship very seriously and was politically active. He put political signs in his front yard during voting season and collected signatures on petitions to further the principles of liberty in our country. In his middle-aged years, Don went on bus trips with different groups to marches in Washington D. C. Don also wrote letters to his state and national representatives to express his views. On every patriotic American holiday, it was a ritual for Don to put up the American Flag on his flag pole.
Although a quiet man, Don had a deep passion for Jesus Christ. He had committed himself to Christ, as his Lord and personal Savior, while in his 20’s. Every day he would read his Bible, pray, and would often share his faith with others. In 1965 Don completed a correspondence course with The Moody Bible Institute. He was a member of The First Baptist Church in Clarion, where throughout the years Don sang in the choir, taught both junior high school and adult Sunday school classes, was a deacon and a custodian. The people that studied the Bible with Don were amazed at his knowledge of the Bible. He faithfully gave his tithe but above and beyond tithing, Don expressed his generosity by giving to many charities, which included supporting multiple orphans around the world. This was possible because Don and Edith lived an unassuming lifestyle.
Edith, Don’s wife of 59 years, died in October 2012. Don leaves behind his three daughters and their husbands: Susan and Larry Smith of Cambridge OH, Joanne and Ron Klinger of Fountain Valley CA, Darla and Georg Gosa of Bellefonte PA. Don has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren: Colleen Flickinger Ogg (Matt) and great grand twins, Cora and Harrison of Havertown PA, Nathan Flickinger (Jordan) and great-grandson Henry of Seattle, WA, Jeffrey Smith (Jill) of Troy OH, Ian Klinger, Kaylyn Klinger and Caleb Klinger reside in Southern California. Don also has many nieces and nephews living around the United States. He was predeceased by a nephew, Norman (Budd) Hulse of Florida. We rejoice in the knowledge that Don is now with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Donald was buried beside Edith at Cedarview Memorial Park in Strattanville, PA.
Memorial contributions in Donald’s memory may be made to: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28201-0001.
