Donald Joe Mildrexler

Donald Joe Mildrexler was born in Cawker City, Kansas on December 17, 1934, to Katherine Barbara (Smith) and Joseph Stanchel Mildrexler. Joe was welcomed with surprise by his two older sisters, Katherine “Kitty” and Josephine Ann “JoAnn” because they had no idea their mother was pregnant, but they loved their little brother all the same.

Joe grew up on Lake Street, often walking down to the water to fish with his father or by himself. As a child, he attended St. Theresa Catholic School through the eighth grade and was an Altar Server at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He then attended Cawker City High School, where he played basketball and football while also hunting, fishing and “stealing” watermelons and corn from nearby fields.

As a teenager, Joe’s first jobs included selling beer for a nickel each at a local bar, building furniture at an area company, plumbing with his father in the family business and driving a tractor for a local farming family. It was the experiences driving older farm equipment without protective equipment that negatively impacted Joe’s hearing at an early age.

However, the most important part for Joe of being a teen and attending Cawker City High School was meeting the love of his life, Mella Jane Ziegenbalg.

In 1952, Joe earned a football scholarship to Fort Hays State University, where he studied Mathematics and Education. He also worked as a custodian in Picken Hall.

Joe joined the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, where he lived and joked around with his fellow education “brothers.” He was also a member of the Future Teachers of America, the Math Club and played on the 1955 Championship Team of the Organized Football League.

Throughout college, Joe and Mella dated steadily. On August 4, 1956, Joe and Mella

were FINALLY married. They drove to Yellowstone National Park for a quick honeymoon, then drove right back to Kensington to begin their teaching careers together.

Joe started his first in a long line of mentoring and teaching positions as the high school Math and Science teacher at Kensington High School. He was a positive influence on students as Assistant Basketball Coach and both Joe and Mella also served as Senior Class Sponsors, taking the students on end-of-year trips to places such as Denver, Colorado.

During the summers, Joe continued his education, eventually earning his Masters of Science in Mathematics through FHSU. Around this time, Joe attempted to enlist in the military but was told because of his incredible worth as a Math and Science teacher, and because of his poor hearing, he was ineligible to enlist. His excellence with teaching Math was recognized in 1959, when he was accepted to the prestigious Mathematics Institute sponsored by the National Science Foundation through FHSU.

In November of 1962, Joe and Mella were ecstatic to welcome their daughter Donella (Donald + Mella = Donella) Jane, to the family. At this time, Joe was continuing to earn additional postgraduate hours from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and the University of MIssouri at Rolla (now known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology.) One of his favorite memories was taking young Donella along for the summer educational symposium at the University of California in San Jose.

In 1963, Joe moved the family to Colby so he could teach Math at Colby High School. Although he continued to teach at CHS until 1965, Joe also began his career at Colby Community College (CCC) as a math instructor. He worked tirelessly to help the entire college create a strong foundation and can be linked to virtually every significant event at the college from the beginning in 1964 until his retirement.

In October of 1972, Joe, Mella and Donella joyously welcomed another daughter, Janella (Jane + Mella = Janella) Dawn (Donald). Joe was still working as a math instructor until 1975, when he was named interim Dean of Instruction from 1975-1977. Joe then became the Dean of Admissions and Registrar from 1977-1979 and was named Dean of Community Services in the fall of 1979.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Joe stayed physically active by refereeing regional high school football and basketball games. His refereeing career slowed when he was crushed by a player, which broke his leg in multiple places. Wearing a cast and using a wheelchair made representing CCC at area county fair events a challenge, but because of his loyalty and commitment to the college, he continued on, even spending a week at the Kansas State Fair.

Joe was a Third Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus and taught Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes for several years at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Colby. He joined the Colby High Plains Lion’s Club in October 1981 and was a member until May 2002. For many, many years, he was an active member of the Sons of the American Legion, often cooking and serving food at pancake breakfast and chicken fried steak “feeds.” and he always looked forward to bringing his personal craps table to the annual Pheasant Hunters Stag Casino Games night with his good friend Kenton Krehbiel.

Joe was instrumental in the development and supervision of several programs at CCC. He was the supervisor of the nursing education program and served on the Kansas State Nursing Board. He assisted with the baseball program, established the audio/video program and was responsible for the locations and supervision of the college's 28 outreach centers.

Joe was incredibly active in the Kansas Adult Education Association, serving in several positions with the state group including the presidency in 1980. He was honored with the group’s State Achievement Award in 1987. In 1986, Joe received the Kansas Department of Human Resources Certificate of Recognition because he believed in hiring good people, letting them do their job and not constantly looking over their shoulders. He was very proud of the teachers and staff he hired and every holiday season, he brought gifts for the 10-15 staff members who worked with him. He also loved to bake dozens and dozens of cookies for the college students during finals weeks!

Joe was a significant leader in the establishment of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). For several years, he and Mella engaged with the RSVP community by working at the concession stand at the Thomas County Fair and by dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Santa at the holiday party. Mella would tell everyone how much she enjoyed when Santa winked at her while they were dancing!

Joe established the computer program at and secured many grants for the radio and television programs at CCC. He was also a member of the team who maintained the college’s first mainframe computer. Many evenings when a thunderstorm or electrical surge would knock out the computer system, he and daughter Janie would head up to the college to reboot the giant, room-sized computer named “Katie” and play programming games.

In recognition of his remarkable commitment to adult education, Joe was President of the Missouri Valley Adult Education Association from 1991-1992 and was awarded the Missouri Valley Adult Education Association Founder’s Award and Scroll in 2000. This award is the highest honor which the association bestows on one of its members. He was also awarded the Kansas Adult Education Association Distinguished Service Award in 1992.

Joe retired in 2006 after rocking all of his positions hard for 42 years at Colby Community College. His efforts and dedication to the college were highlighted in 2008 when he was selected as the CCC Honorary Associate Degree recipient. He reminded everyone in the audience of a quote by one of his dearest friends, Dr. Max Pickerill: that those in education do not teach subject matter, they teach students.

Almost immediately into retirement, Joe had a highly concerning health emergency involving infection and necrotizing fasciitis. This negatively impacted his long term health by causing him to have a weakened immune system and muscular structure. As he tried to maintain his quality of life while handling his health concerns, he was grateful for the tender care and support of close friend Shawna Petersen and the amazing Nurses, Aides and Therapists at L&C Home Health Agency. He loved and appreciated Shawna so much, he considered her an honorary grandchild and joked around with her often, especially about their favorite sports teams.

Joe spent his free time golfing, playing poker with his buddies and hunting. He was known as “Referee” or the “Snickers Bar Kid” to his fishing buddies. A story he and Mella told for years was how he lost his wedding ring out in a field while on a pheasant hunting trip! They enjoyed taking many trips to visit area casinos and historical sites and he was often at the Meadow Lake Golf Course on a Saturday afternoon playing Texas Hold ‘Em. He loved being with his family, going camping, fishing and boating with his girls and then his grandsons. His love of fishing was so great, he went to the fishing hole with his grandson until 2023.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, and a nephew Gregory Aultman.

The love of his life, Mella, died in 2011 and he missed her every day since.

He is survived by his daughter Donella (Jack) Mildrexler-Morris, grandsons Chris (Crysta) Weiss and Chase Weiss; daughter Janella “Little Stinker” Mildrexler (Brian Gerstner), grandson Maxwell Mildrexler-Gerstner; niece Joni (Neil) Fawbush, nephews Stan (Jayne) Kohn and Eric (Deb) Kohn.

A graveside service will take place at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 7, 2025, at Beulah Cemetery, Colby. In lieu of anything for the family, memorials may be made to the Colby Community College Endowment Fund for the Mildrexler Family Scholarship and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com