Douglas LeRoy Greenwald

Age 85, passed away peacefully on Saturday August 23, 2025 at The Estates at Roseville, Mn. Douglas was born on March 8, 1940 in Waseca, MN to LeRoy and Grace (Rachel) Greenwald. They lived near Elysian, MN.

Doug grew up working alongside his brother and father tiling fields and working in the gravel pit loading gravel trucks. When he was older, he drove a gravel truck in the summer and they plowed snow for the township in the winter. The Greenwald family was complimented many times for a job well done.

Doug graduated in 1958 from Waterville High School in Waterville, Mn where he enjoyed playing his saxophone in the high school band, and was a part of a saxophone quartet that qualified to compete in the state competition. He had also joined the high school wrestling team where he did very well and even created his own wresting move to pin his opponent in 26 sec. Watching him make this tactical maneuver during a match drove the girls crazy with excitement!

Soon after graduation, Douglas then enlisted in the army from 1958-1962. When they had rifle training, Doug had made 17 bullseyes and even had his name broadcasted over the loud speaker. After basic training he served in radio and signal core spending two years based in Tokyo, Japan. Doug and his buddy, Porky, had fun riding their motorcycles trying to ride all the way to the top of Mt. Fuji. It was steep and they never quite made it, but they sure had fun trying. Upon returning home to Elysian, Doug continued working for his dad. When his dad passed away in 1967, Doug worked and drove over-the-road for different trucking companies. He eventually bought his own tractor-trailer hauling grain for local elevators as well as over-the-road in the winter.

On August 22,1970 Doug married Cheryl Ann (Matula) a native of Minneapolis, Mn. Before having children, Cheryl would ride along with Doug in his semi truck, sometimes going great distances hauling loads across the country, spending many hours enjoying the scenery and listening to good preachers on the radio. During their 7th year of marriage, they were blessed with their first daughter, Penny Lynn Johnson. Three years later, Robyn Ann (James) Allison was born to them and blessed their home, followed by Debra Leigh Greenwald, in 1988. Doug and Cheryl now have nine grandchildren; Maston Lee (Nicole) Johnson , Mykah Grace, Madyson Jean, Myles James-Douglas and Meirra Lydia Ann, were born to Penny. Hope Destiny, Hosea Michael, Hosanna Joy and Seth James, were born to James and Robyn. Children are a blessing from the Lord.

In December 1979, Doug and Cheryl drove to Cordova, Alaska for the first time. Cordova is only accessible by plane or ferry, so they boarded their car onto the ferry for the six hour boat ride across Prince William Sound. Shortly after arriving in Cordova, Doug started working for North Pacific Processors. His job was to unload fishing boats of dungeness crab that winter and salmon in the summer.

Many precious friendships were made while living in Cordova and they both fell in love with Alaska. Then in the fall of 1980, they drove the long drive back to Minnesota where Doug got his truck serviced and once again, started trucking.

In May of 1982, Doug and Cheryl officially moved to Cordova, Alaska. Doug continued working at North Pacific Processors driving forklift, keeping the cannery supplied with canning boxes and moving crates to and from the warehouse. Doug always enjoyed making his co-workers laugh with stories from his childhood and making comments that would leave you thinking, “where does he come up with this stuff!?” And no matter where he went or who he would talk to, he was always a witness for Jesus, shining his light in Cordova. He continued his work at the cannery until 1991 when Whitestone logging came to town and Doug switched gears and began driving a log truck until August of 1996.

In September of 1996, Doug and Cheryl packed up, once again and drove down the Alaska highway where God called them to Boyceville, Wisconsin. Settling there, they were able to help care for their aging parents and be closer to family. After a few months, they found a nice home and moved in in Jan of 1997. Doug soon found a job with a trucking company hauling loads until their office shut down permanently. A short time later, he began working for Klemm Tank Lines out of Green Bay, WI hauling fuel.

Doug retired in January of 2011. He then spent his time in the garage tinkering with whatever needed fixing. Usually lawnmowers! Doug and Cheryl always enjoyed taking trips and they were always fun because Doug loved to drive and Cheryl enjoyed being his navigator. In the summertime, you would often find Doug riding his motorcycle on the windy country roads of Wi. A passion of his that began in his early youth. Douglas was very musical, not only with his saxophone, but, he played the trombone and the trumpet as well. He also taught himself how to play the electric guitar. He enjoyed playing so much that he wrote a short book in 1986, explaining the basics of guitar playing called ‘The Easy Guitar’ which he self published. Doug also enjoyed bowling and was part of league in Janesville, Mn. When he was younger, he loved to go duck and pheasant hunting and deer hunting in the fall. Being a marksman, he always brought home goodies for the dinner table. While living in Alaska, he was able to go deer hunting with our dearest friends and one year, he was able to get a moose. Our freezers were always full!

Doug was also a very active member in their church. Over the years, he was a board member, a teen Sunday school teacher (which he was excellent at) and he and Cheryl played the music every Sunday for several years at the Assembly of God while living in Cordova, AK. Cheryl on piano and Doug on the guitar. They made a beautiful team. Doug was a very disciplined man regarding his health. He was faithful to take vitamins for years and jogged three times a week. For the past several years he did push-ups regularly, even up until the night before going to the hospital in August of 2025, he did 17 push ups!

Douglas was a faithful and wonderful husband, father and grandpa. He loved all his family dearly and they loved him just as much. He was a great teacher and could explain whatever he needed to with awesome patience. He always did all his own mechanic work for his cars and trucks through the years, overhauling his semi truck twice. He was excellent at fixing things around the house, and made things last much longer than their life expectancy. He would keep the engines running in their vehicles so long that the bodies would fall apart before the engine would! He was good at figuring out problems and solving the issues for most anything mechanical. Whatever he did, he wanted it to be done right. Douglas had a quiet, kind and gentle spirit about him. Most of all, he had a sense of humor. He had sayings that we are still laughing about today, wondering where he would come up with this stuff! Doug with his wife and children would spend many hours over the years, laughing together and strengthening their family with joy.

It was important, as a couple, that God was at the center of their 55 years of marriage. God was always faithful, because they put their trust in Him and in God’s Word, the Bible. They watched God’s hand move many times throughout the years, providing for them and guiding them; they never went without and God gets all the glory.

Cheryl would like to thank the Mayo Hospitals in Menomonie and Osseo, WI, The Estates at Roseville, MN and the St. Croix Hospice for their wonderful care of her husband, Douglas LaRoy Greenwald.

There will be a celebration of life Thursday September 25th, 2025 at 12:00pm with a visitation one hour prior. Love Church, 710 Main Street E., Menomonie, WI with Pastor Paul Carlson officiating.