Donna Leslie (STEVENS) BEAR

STEVENS, BEAR, BEADLE, BARBOUR, HARRIMAN, PIERCE, MOORE, TONEY, TRULLINGER, WALBRIDGE, ESCH, DAVIS, AURINGER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/13/2009 at 01:38:31

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
January, 2003

OBITUARY

Donna Leslie BEAR was born March 4, 1915 at Knowlton, Iowa, the fifth of six children born to Homer R. & Edith May (BEADLE) STEVENS. Donna passed away at the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr on January 2, 2003.
As a child, Donna lived a short time at Corydon, and Seymour before moving to a farm near Beaconsfield. She attended Beaconsfield high school, where she enjoyed playing basketball. She remembers the cold, snowy winters near Beaconsfield, especially when going to and from school on the railroad tracks with her brothers Walter & R. B. Donna was united in marriage to Orville N. "Doc" BEAR on August 21, 1931 at Bethany, MO with her father, sister Theola and her husband Gilmore BARBOUR present. She and Doc farmed until 1946 when the family went to Portland, Oregon for the next 4 years. The family returned to farm until 1953 when they moved to Tingley and Doc started working for the Ringgold County Road Department Tingley would remain their home until Doc & Donna became residents of the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr at the end of 1999. Doc passed away on April 26, 2002.

Donna was a caring and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was patient and instilled values in her children while managing the household including the yard, garden, and flowers. She enjoyed family and friends which resulted in many large family dinners as Donna was an excellent cook and hostess. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents and husband; sisters Vera Coral (HARRIMAN) PIERCE and Nira Glee MOORE; brothers Cecil R., Ralph B., and Walter L. STEVENS.

She will be remembered by her children Nadine BALES of Pittsburg, CA, Ramon BEAR & wife Deloris of Lake St. Louis, MO, Gary BEAR & wife Marilyn of Diagonal, IA, and Glee TONEY & special friend Gene TRULLINGER of Union Star, MO, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren: Craig WALBRIDGE & wife Karen and their children Christopher, Michael and Jessica; Shannon (WALBRIDGE) ESCH & husband Doug and their children Meghan and her son Christian; Branden & wife Tristan and their daughter Alyssa and their children Jeremy and Devin; Allen BEAR & wife Wanda and their son Nathaniel; Lori DAVIS and her children Brian, Becca, Christy, and James DAVIS; Cristopher TONEY & wife Allynn and their sons Collin and Kyle; Debra (TONEY) AURINGER; nieces, nephews and friends.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2009