Donna Brown

© Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

06-2013

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

© Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

Funeral services for Donna Brown will be held Friday, June 7, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church with Reverend Marlin Hiett officiating. Burial will follow in the North M.B. Cemetery. Arrangements are by Fairview Funeral Home Inc.

To the joy and delight of her parents, Henry E. and Elizabeth (Young) Bartel, Donna made her entrance into the world on January 26, 1936. Their home was on a farm northwest of Fairview. She was welcomed into her Heavenly Home on June 4, 2013. She would learn at a very early age that life is a mix of joys and sorrows. At the tender age of 4 her father died suddenly while the family was on a trip to California. Returning to Oklahoma her mother continued the responsibility of parenting her young family, providing a loving and caring home for them on the farm. When the time came for Donna to start school, the decision was made to move to a home in Fairview. She enjoyed school, was a good student and participated in many school activities. She often recalled memories of friendships made during her school years, friendships that remained through her lifetime.

As a young girl at the age of 12, the message of the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was shared with her and by faith she believed what Jesus did on the cross for her. Following this decision, she was baptized and became a member of the North Mennonite Brethren Church. Her trust in the message of the Gospel was her assurance and hope to the end.

Donna and Roy were married on July 9, 1954 and began their journey together on a farm southeast of Fairview. The transition from a city girl to country living was an adjustment she readily made. She was always willing to set aside her homemaking duties to help where help was needed on the farm. Learning to drive the wheat truck with a two speed axle was easy for her, however she discovered too late that having that skill she now had a permanent job for many harvests to come. Before they could celebrate their second anniversary, their journey was interrupted when Roy was called up for military service.

Wherever he was sent stateside, she would follow, however when deployed to Korea, she moved back to Fairview. During that year of separation before cell phones or the internet she faithfully wrote a letter to him every day that he was in Korea. Donna enjoyed hand work. With all of the tasks of being a home maker there often was something on the “back burner” that she wanted to do, ceramics , doll making, quilting or crocheting. She looked forward to WMS days when she could work with the ladies making quilts and items for the relief sale. She enjoyed singing in the church choir. Working with the girls in Awana brought her great joy. She appreciated the visits and get well notes the girls sent her while in the hospital.

In her free time you could often find her with a pencil in one hand and a crossword puzzle in the other, or sitting at a table searching intently through all the puzzle pieces for just the right piece. At one point she took on the challenge of reading through the entire Bible in a year. She completed the challenge and followed that up by doing it two more times after that.

Preceding her in death were her parents and an infant sister.

Surviving are her husband Roy, daughter Pamela and husband Curtis Toews, grandson Cody and wife Chloe’ Toews, and a soon to be great-grandson; a brother, Norman and wife Judy Bartel, a brother-in-law Ruben Brown and many other relatives and friend Thanks to all who prayed, sent many encouraging notes, and came to visit her during her extended time of illness.

Thanks to everyone who had a part, both at the Fellowship Home and the Fairview Regional Medical Center for the kind and compassionate care s provided to her during her time of illness.

We give thanks to our Heavenly Father for His goodness to us in giving us Donna to be a part of our journey these many years. We will miss her, but find comfort in the fact she is with Jesus, and free of pain and struggle that was part of her earthly journey.

Memorials may be made to the Fairview M.B. Church, Fairview Regional Medical Center or the charity of your choice with the Fairview Funeral Home Inc. acting as custodian.

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