Douglas Black

WESLACO, Texas ? Douglas Alan Black, 57, of Donna, Texas, died Saturday, July 2, 2016, following a six-month battle to recover from complications of multiple spider bites that occurred when he stepped down off the tractor into a nest of spiders during his daily work routine.

Celebration of life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 16, at the Bethel Mennonite Church on the Wayland Road south of Washington. Local pastor, Scott Johnson, will officiate the service. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until the service, Saturday at the church. A general memorial has been established to help with the catastrophic medical expenses. McCaleb Funeral Home of Weslaco, Texas, is in charge of the arrangements.

Mr. Black was born March 7, 1959, in Washington, the son of Orin Black and Lola Black Arbogast. He married Terri Utterback in Sigourney. They had two children. The couple later divorced. In October 2009 he married Cindy Dillon of Donna, Texas, and made his home there for the remainder of his life.

He attended school in Washington until his junior year, when he moved to Sigourney, where he graduated from high school. He worked for the Mahaska County Farm Service until 1989. He then worked for Crop Production Services in the Oskaloosa area until 1997. He sold drainage tile until 2009, when he married and moved to Donna, Texas, where he worked alongside his wife to manage their bed and breakfast and a large hay and farming operation. He was well respected and deeply cared for by his friends, clients and farmhands in the Donna, Texas, area. He was an avid Hawkeye fan. He was a talented all-around athlete during his high school years. He played basketball, was an excellent wrestler, his 4x100 relay team set a record that still stands at Sigourney, and his football coach said he was the best blocking back he ever had on the football team. He loved supporting his children?s sporting endeavors as they developed their own interests. He loved cheering for his son, Jeremy, during his wrestling career. He also loved horses, so helping his daughter, Katie, as she competed in horse show events brought him great pleasure. He also loved being a grandfather of his six grandchildren. He looked forward each year to the family tradition of spending the Labor Day weekend at the Skunk River, camping and fishing with his brothers and nephews. Each year created more memories and fishing tales to share for the coming year.

Surviving are his wife, Cindy Black, of Donna, Texas; one son, Jeremy Black and wife Anne of Cedar Rapids; one daughter, Katie Shelton and husband John of Bedford; five grandsons; one granddaughter; his mother, Lola Arbogast of Wayland; eight brothers, Denny and wife Laura of Alpha, Illinois, Mike and wife Bev of Washington, Bill and wife Sherry of Washington, Larry of Iowa City, Steve and wife Denise of Webster, Gary and wife Jackie of Ankeny, Tom and wife Deb of Washington, and Brad and wife Bonnie of Sigourney; his stepmother, Jean Black of Washington; his mother-in-law, Margaret Dillon of Donna, Texas; one sister-in-law, Stacy Minns of San Antonio, Texas; one brother-in-law, Steve Dillon of McAllen, Texas; one stepbrother, Harold Arbogast and wife Theresa of Brighton; one stepsister, Judy Teel of Coppock; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Orin Black; his stepfather, Max Arbogast; Mick Arbogast; one stepdaughter, Amanda Dillon; and his maternal and paternal grandparents.