Don was born in Westphalia, Kansas, in 1927, the youngest of three children to Ray and Grace Stern. He helped his parents work their farm just north of Aliceville, Kansas. The family was known for the watermelons they grew and chicken houses they built. He attended Mount Joy Elementary School and graduated from Westphalia High School in 1945. Don joined the Navy and left for active duty on May 17, 1945. He attended 8 weeks of boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. Then he was assigned to the USS Feland as a Seaman First-Class for duty in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. His first mission was to the Philippines to deliver military passengers and cargo to one of the islands. Within hours of arriving, they were informed that the Japanese had surrendered, and were ordered to turn around and said for Shoemaker, California. There, he was assigned to work in the Overnight Issues Department and the Inspection Gate. Don was honorably discharged on August 10, 1946, and returned to the family farm north of Aliceville. In 1946, Don enrolled in the Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, Kansas. He graduated in May 1950 with a degree in Industrial Arts, PE and coaching. Don's first teaching job was in Auburn, Kansas. In May 1991, after a 39-year teaching and coaching career, Don decided to retire while at Fort Scott Community College. Don married Mona Lee George in 1948. They raised three children: Tommy, Gary and Donna. Don and Mona continue to live in Fort Scott, Kansas, on their 40-acre farm they bought in 1968.