Mrs. JAMES (Donna Rita Kubitz) McGOVERN 1929-2005

REBURN, KUBITZ, MCGOVERN, THOME, BARTHELME, HOGAN, KRAMER, QUILLIN

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 8/16/2005 at 13:47:14

DONNA MCGOVERN

Donna R. McGovern, 76, of Waukon, Iowa, died Thursday, July 28, 2005, at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in La Crosse, Wis. Funeral services were held Tuesday, August 2 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Joseph Schneider officiating. Burial was in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements.

Donna Rita was born April 30, 1929, in Caledonia, Minn., the daughter of Edward and Jane C. (Reburn) Kubitz. She spent her early years in Eitzen, Minn., then at the age of 6, moved with her family to east of Waukon. She attended the rural Elk School and Waukon High School. Following school, Donna helped on the family farm and worked at the Soda Grill Restaurant in Waukon.

May 20, 1952, she married James Robert McGovern at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon. They lived in a number of different locations, including Maquoketa, Iowa, Kansas City, Mo., Toledo, Ohio, and Atlanta, Ga. She spent most of her time as a homemaker. Donna also enjoyed her volunteer work as a physical education teacher and playground supervisor. Donna returned to Maquoketa in 1985 where she met Ed Kilburg and became close friends. In 2003, she returned to her beloved Waukon.

Donna was a very social person and loved to interact with her family and friends and had a special group of families of veterans that she enjoyed spending time with. She liked country music and dancing and spent time gardening in her earlier years. When her children would move, Donna looked forward to being able to help with the remodeling and decorating, especially the painting.

Survivors include three sons, Daniel of Waukon, Rick (Cheryl) of Petersburg, Mich., and Robert (Kim) of Bishop, Calif.; a daughter, Cindy (Mike) Thome of Maumee, Ohio: seven grandchildren; two brothers, Robert (Phyllis) Kubitz of Waukon and Allen (Helen) Kubitz of Reno, Nev.; and four sisters, LaVon Barthelme of La Crescent, Minn., Betty (Terry) Hogan of Postville, Iowa, Margery Kramer of San Diego, Calif., and Marcella (Ben) Quillin of Waukon.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband James, who died in 1980.

Honorary casketbearers were Kevin and Mike Quillin, Jo Hausman, and Bonnie Bellendier. Casketbearers were Allen “Bud”, Greg, and Bob Kubitz; Rick, Bob, and James McGovern; Terry Hogan; and Mike Thome.

Waukon Standard, August 3, 2005