MaDonna Fae (Hofer) MCNULTY

MCNULTY, HOFER, DOCKSTADER, ZWANGIGER, REHWALDT-ALEXANDER, REHWALDT, ALEXANDER, IVEY, JASPERSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/30/2007 at 20:56:40

December 6, 2005
Mason City Globe Gazette

BELMOND — Donna McNulty, 87, most recently a resident of the Belmond Health Care Center, a longtime resident of the Belmond area, died Saturday (Dec. 3, 2005) at the Belmond Health Care Center, surrounded by her loving family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Belmond. The Rev. Chris Podhajsky will be officiating. Burial will be in the St. Francis Cemetery in Belmond. The family greeted friends and relatives during the visitation from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First St.. S.E. in Belmond. There was a parish rosary at 4:15 p.m. and a scriptural service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Visitation will continue today at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Wright County or the donor’s wishes.

MaDonna Fae Hofer was born on Sept. 18, 1918, in Ventura. She lived there with her family until they moved to California where they spent two years, until returning to the Ventura/Clear Lake area. The family then moved to Goodell where she excelled in softball and academics and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Goodell High School. After high school she attended Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and completed her degree in English from Drake University, Des Moines. She often regaled us with happy stories of that time. Donna married Gerald McNulty on May 6, 1939. They briefly lived in Belmond before moving to their farm just north of Belmond. It was there they raised five children. She taught school at St. John’s School, Clarion, and remedial reading at Belmond Community Schools. She was loved by her students and was never afraid to disagree with authority if she felt something could be improved by doing so. Donna spent around 60 hard, yet rewarding, years on the farm. She had a special relationship with the little wrens that came back every year and nested in the big lilac bush outside the front porch on the farm. She respected and loved animals, the seasons, laughing hard and working hard, and passed these values on to her children. She is remembered, among other things, for her strong sense of fair play, the huge meals she prepared, and her penchant for playing bridge, and her love for her family. Donna was an active member of DAR, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, St. Elizabeth’s Study Club, St. Francis Rosary Society, and St. Francis Parish.

Donna is survived by her husband, Gerald W. McNulty; her five children: Thomas McNulty and his wife, Diane, of Naples, Fla., Mark McNulty and his wife, Marcia, of Clear Lake, Dennis McNulty of Belmond, Shannon McNulty of Santa Fe, N.M., Edward McNulty of Minneapolis, Minn.; and her daughter-in-law, Cyndy McNulty of Belmond. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Maureen McNulty (Scott) Dockstader of Ames, Michael (Lisa) McNulty of Zimmerman, Minn., Monica McNulty (Jeffrey) Gribben of Mason City, Matthew (Theresa) McNulty of Polk City, Mitchell (Melissa) McNulty of Altoona, Meagan McNulty (Adam) Zwanziger of Iowa City, Kate McNulty and special friend, Kevin Marshall, of Belmond, and Lisa (Jeremy) Rehwaldt-Alexander of Omaha, Neb.; 13 great-grandchildren; and her nieces, Jane Hofer and Julie Hofer Ivey; and nephews, Ronald and Steven Hofer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Nilla (Jasperson) Hofer; a brother, Raymond Hofer; and an infant sister. Andrews Funeral Home.