ROSS, DONNA M. - Minnehaha County, South Dakota | DONNA M. ROSS - South Dakota Gravestone Photos

Donna M. ROSS

Woodlawn - Sioux Falls Cemetery
Minnehaha County,
South Dakota

Section Pine Lawn

Donna M. Ross
March 28, 1928 - April 30, 2020


Donna M. Ross, 92, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away Thursday, April 30, 2020 at Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls. Private family services were held.

Donna Mae (Otteman) Ross, daughter of Martin and Dora Otteman was born March 28th, 1928 in Wayne, NE. Donna grew up on a farm in Hartington, SD with her parents, two brothers, Dean and Dwight and two sisters, Betty (Barleman) and Marcelyn (Wagner).

Life was hard back then. She walked two miles, with her siblings, to go to a school called “Bunker Hill”. She helped with work on the farm herding cows, butchering hogs, chickens, rabbits and canning any food they could, as there were no grocery stores.

Donna worked for room and board by living with a few families in town so she could attend High School. She graduated from Hartington High School in 1945 at age 17. She then moved to Sioux Falls, SD to enroll in the Cadet Nurse Corp training program, a government program set up for Nurses training during WWII.

She attended Augustana College and worked at Sioux Valley Hospital with disabled children and polio victims. In addition, she worked in the OBGYN area and with elderly patients.

Donna met Charlie Ross while dancing at the Arcadia Ballroom. He was just back from the service with the 875th Airborne Engineers. They were married in Hartington, NE on March 2, 1947. Charles had run heavy equipment in the service and was hired to do road construction all over in South Dakota, so they bought a small travel trailer and Donna went on the road with Charles.

In 1950, they settled in Sioux Falls, where Charles went to work for Dan Dugan Oil Company and Donna became a mother and housewife. They had three girls and a dog named Sassy. Donna’s love of dogs made Sassy her shadow and beloved companion for many years. Donna also enjoyed attending the races at Husets Speedway, watching her husband race, spending time with her dear coffee friends and caring for her family.

After their three girls moved from home, Donna and Charlie wintered in Arizona every winter for 18 years. They lived in several “snowbird” courts and enjoyed doing painting, crafts, dances, skits, volunteer work and setup sight-seeing events for the court. They enjoyed traveling the states and when Donna added it up, they have traveled to over 42 states through the years.

Donna loved working with the elderly as a nurse and caretaker. She was a loving wife, a caring mother and a wonderful grandmother, who will be missed in all the lives she touched.

Grateful for having shared her life are three daughters, Sharon (Roger Timmer), Cindy (Phil Bunkers) and Tami (Roger Anderson); eight grandchildren, Jim (Kim) Wentzlaff, Tara (Chris Taylor), Aimee (Jerry Warmbein), Brian (Tracie) Timmer, Corey (Angie) Bunkers, Ross (Chelsie) Anderson, Megan Anderson and Neil Anderson; 15 great-grandchildren; and 5 great-great-grandchildren.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Charles; a daughter, Sharon; her parents; two brothers, Dean and Dwight; two sisters, Betty and Marcelyn; and two sons-in-law, Roger Timmer and Phil Bunkers.

Contributed on 6/7/17 by 9katz
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Record #: 257075

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Submitted: 6/7/17 • Approved: 9/16/20 • Last Updated: 9/19/20 • R257075-G257074-S3

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