BARBARA “BARB” MARIE DONNA (NEE PETERSON)
BARBARA “BARB” MARIE DONNA (NEE PETERSON)
Barbara “Barb” Marie Donna (nee Peterson), 89, passed away July 30, 2023. Barb was born Dec. 3, 1933, in Chicago, IL, to Theodore and Elsie Peterson (nee Krater). Theodore died tragically when Barb was very young. While Elsie worked to provide for herself and her young child, Barb’s grandparents, Leopold and Barbara Krater (nee Muller) as well as her aunts, Lillian and Marion, helped Elsie raise Barb.
This family unit became very close and remained that way throughout all their lives, even as each family tree grew into extended families. When Barb was 16 years old, Elsie remarried to Louis “Lou” Gershon of Chicago, IL. Lou became Barb’s very loving and supportive dad.
Barb attended Southern Illinois University (SIU), Carbondale, and graduated with a degree in education. While at SIU, she met her future husband, Antone “Tony” L. Donna, at a Greek function. On Aug.10, 1957, they were married and remained together for almost 50 years at the time of his death in 2006. Barb taught elementary school and special education in the Chicago area for several years. She retired from teaching and then managed the office for Tony’s law firm. In 1984, they picked up roots in Skokie, IL. bought a hotel in La Crosse, WI, and moved to the Coulee Region for a better quality of life. Together, they operated the Night Saver Inn until selling it and retiring to the Black River Falls area in 2004.
Barb loved her knitting and cross‐stitch and made countless blankets, dishcloths and wall hangings for almost everyone. She grew up and remained a die-hard Cubs fan and learned to tolerate the Brewers, was a voracious reader and particularly appreciated a good thriller, loved working on puzzles of all kinds, playing penny slots at the casino (at least she claimed they were penny machines) a serial online shopper of all things candy, adored her cats and a great cook. Her Thanksgiving dinners were always a family treat, with the generational stuffing recipe leading the way. Barb also always made time to volunteer and was active with a variety of civic and charitable organizations both in Chicago and La Crosse. Most importantly though, Barb was a loving wife, mother, grandma, great-grandma and good friend to
many people.
Barb is preceded in death by her husband, Tony; her parents, Theodore, Elsie and Lou; her stepbrother, Jules Gershon; and her best of friends for nearly 86 years, Joyce Perry.
She is survived by her five children, David (Paula) Donna of Minnesota, Lisa (Julie) Donna of Wisconsin,
Paul (Angie) Donna of Minnesota, Sharon Donna of Wisconsin and Larry (Shannon) Donna of Wisconsin. She is also survived by her 12 grandchildren, Elizabeth, Antone “Tony”, Lauren, Sam, Theodore “Teddy”, Will, Sophia, Catterina “Catt”, Josh, Charlie, Ava and Maxsim “Maks” as well as her seven great-grandchildren Wyatt, Peyton, Mason, Adelyn, Henry, Jameson and Carson.
A special thank you to Jack and Judy Rusch and Bill and Joanne Arnold for the special friendship shared with Barb and our family. Also, thank you to Barb’s primary for over 25 years, Dr. Caroline Fisher, who was also considered a family friend, and of course the health care providers of the last couple weeks at the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse.
A service to celebrate Barb’s life will be held at 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 28, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 115 N. 5th Street in Black River Falls, WI. Please join the family for food and friendship immediately following. In lieu of flowers, Barb passionately supported St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Jackson County Animal Shelter, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Black River Falls Fire and Rescue.