Clark County Deputy Dies in Line of Duty

Clark County Deputy Sheriff Don. D. McCutcheon died in the line of duty on Monday, February 8, 2010. He was 36 years old.

According to Clark County Sheriff Paul Gaudette, McCutcheon was helping a jailer shovel snow outside the Sheriff’s Office on Monday evening.  When they finished, McCutcheon complained of feeling warm and of nausea.  The jailer on duty offered to check his blood pressure, but McCutcheon declined.  Shortly thereafter, McCutcheon decided to go to the Clark County Ambulance office to be checked out, where he collapsed.  Ambulance personnel immediately began CPR, and transported him to Keokuk Area Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Visitation for Deputy McCutcheon will be on Friday evening, February 12, from 6-8 PM.  His funeral service will be held Saturday morning, February 13, at 10AM.  Burial will be in the Ballard Cemetery.

Gov. Nixon orders flags to half-staff in Clark County to honor fallen law enforcement officer

Jefferson City, Mo. – Gov. Jay Nixon has ordered that the flags of the United States and the State of Missouri at all state government buildings in Clark County be flown at half-staff on Saturday (Feb. 13) in honor of Deputy Sheriff Don D. McCutcheon, of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Sheriff McCutcheon, age 36, died in the line of duty on Feb. 8. A resident of Wyaconda, he had served as a deputy sheriff in Clark County for just over one year and began his law enforcement career as a police officer in Memphis, Mo., in Scotland County.

Under Gov. Nixon’s order, U.S. and Missouri flags at state buildings in Clark County will fly at half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, the day the funeral services for Deputy Sheriff McCutcheon will take place.

DON D. McCUTCHEON

Don D. McCutcheon, age 36, of Wyaconda, MO, died unexpectedly on Monday, February 8, 2010, in the emergency room of Keokuk Area Hospital, Keokuk, IA.

Don was born April 16, 1973, to Christina (Webster) and Donald McCutcheon in Quincy, IL. When he was two years old he gained another father who raised him as his own and was blessed with a very special uncle, Mike Webster, who was always there to teach him a lot of good points. From the time he was a small child, he was so smart and full of knowledge that his mother knew he would go far.

In 1995 he married Angela Morgan and they were blessed with three wonderful children, Corey, Zach, and Emily.

Survivors include his mother and step-father, Christina and Lloyd Brookhart of Wyaconda, MO; his father, Charlie Adams of Gorin, MO; his beloved children, Corey, Zach and Emily McCutcheon of Kahoka, MO; his grandparents, Charles and Margaret Adams of Gorin, MO; three brothers: Shawn Webster and his wife, Jenny, of Kahoka, MO, Scott Adams and special friend, Jean Saxton, of Wyaconda, MO, and Chris Adams and his wife, Misty, of Wyaconda, MO; step-sisters: Melissa Toops and her husband, Darol, of Florida and Victoria Casteel and her husband, Jamie, of French Village, MO; special uncle, Mike Webster and his wife, Brenda, of Canton, MO; aunts and uncles: Mike and Sharon Adams of Peculiar, MO, Alan and Tammy Adams of Memphis, MO, Anna Keegan of St. Louis, MO, Cheryl Aldridge and Linda Ferrell, both of Loveland, CO; as well as great aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by grandparents including Garland Webster, Darlene Glasgow and Beulah Edwards; an uncle, Eddie Aldridge; an aunt, Mary Adams; and a nephew, Ayden Michael Adams.

Don grew up in Gorin and moved to Wyaconda in 1988. There he served on the Board of Alderman and later as Mayor. He graduated from Wyaconda High School and continued his education at Culver Stockton College before graduating from Southeast Iowa Community College with a degree in Criminal Justice. He went to work for Metzler in Keokuk, but his call led him back to Criminal Justice. He graduated from the Missouri Sheriff's Association Academy at Mexico, MO and on June 12, 2008 joined the Memphis Police Department. He still wanted more excitement, so after working for Clark Co. on a part-time basis while an employee of Memphis, he joined the Clark County Sheriff's Department as a full time employee on February 1, 2009, where he was known as "Deputy Don". As an officer, Don was always upbeat with a smile on his face and if someone was having a bad day, made it better. He had fun asking fellow employees "who's better looking, me or Shawn?" He was determined in his job and stood firm on what he believed. He was concerned for others and would check on them to make sure they were okay.

Don loved sports. He loved to play slow pitch and disc golf. He was a Nascar Fan and dearly loved Dale, Jr. He was a huge fan of WWE Wrestling, the Laker's, St. Louis Cardinals, Missouri Tigers, and was obsessed with the Dallas Cowboys. He had coached tee-ball, Zach in football, and Corey in baseball for many years.

First and foremost, he loved his family. He adored his beautiful princess, Emily, and loved to watch her dance. He loved watching Zach's football team this fall and was able to attend all but one game due to being on a call. He looked forward to the weekends when he had time with Corey as they patrolled together as part of Corey's Explorer training. He and his mother enjoyed their time together as they "judged" American Idol. Family, friends, service were all important to him and he served and loved with pride. For all that, his mother wants him to know how extremely proud she was of him and what he chose to do in life, and how she never told him enough. But it was there and it showed in the way he responded to others and the way he lived his life.

Services will be Saturday, February 13, 2010, at 10 a.m. at Wilson Funeral Home in Kahoka with Rev. Jim Campbell and Rev. Dan Deatrick officiating. Burial will follow in Ballard Cemetery.

Friends can call at Wilson Funeral Home after 9 a.m. Friday with family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m.

Memorials are suggested to his children's education fund. Make checks to Memorial Fund for Don McCutcheon.