Donna Rosell

Obituary Donna Mae (Greene) Rosell died on Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at home with hospice care. She went Home to her Lord with her loving family singing favorite hymns around the bedside. Donna Mae was born July 29, 1927 in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, to Emil and Hannah Greene. She lived near Battle Lake, Clotho, and Eagle Bend. She graduated from Eagle Bend High School and Staples Teachers Training College, and was a teacher in rural schools for several years. Donna wrote in one of her diaries, ?I loved teaching!? More than anything else but God, she loved her husband and family. Donna was married on June 18, 1949 to DeWayne Rosell. They lived for 59 years near Rose City on the farm, where their five children were raised. She accepted the Lord on November 21, 1948, and was an active member of the Rose City Evangelical Free Church where she taught in the Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and served with White Cross and other ministries. For many years Donna also led the Know Your Bible Club with neighborhood children in the basement of her home. For the ongoing blessing of the family, she read and recorded on cassettes the entire New Testament. Listening to the Bible on tape was a great comfort to her during recent months of illness. Donna enjoyed sewing, knitting and quilting, and completed beautiful quilts for each of her children and grandchildren. She appreciated music, singing duets with her husband and with other friends, often accompanying on the autoharp. She was also a longtime member with DeWayne of the Alexandria Vintage Car Club, Tractor Club, Rose City Threshing Festival, and Douglas County Historical Society. Donna Mae is survived by DeWayne, her loving husband of 59 years; children, Jacqueline (Bob) Roub of Ham Lake, Bonnie Utter of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, Penny (Tim) Giesbrecht of Shoreview, Terry (Ruth) Rosell of Kansas City, and Barry (Peggy) Rosell of Lake Elmo; 18 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; sisters Lorraine Lind, Muriel Taurinskas, and sister-in-law Iris Greene; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Alden and Elrene Rosell, Viola Hultstrand, Eldora Rosell, Eldridge and Arlene Rosell; many nieces, nephews, and others in a large extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hannah and Emil; two brothers, Kenwood and Harris; and two sisters, Doris Ione and Eleanor. A celebration of Donna Mae?s life is being held December 13, 2008 at First Baptist Church in Alexandria, with interment at the Rose City Free Church Cemetery. Officiant is Pastor Larry Pearson, assisted by Pastor Jim Brown. Casket bearers are Wilbur Burquest, Steve Soderholm, Donald Friese, Bob Hudspeth, Delton Melzer, and Ken Veireck. Honorary casket bearers are Harvey Danielson, Gene Carlquist, Lowell Christianson, Iris Greene, Irene Lundquist, Wilbur Bergerson, and Hilda Hector. Memorial gifts received will be designated, by Donna?s request, to the Rose City Free Church Youth Camp Fund; and to Students International, for ministry in Costa Rica of the Dixon family, her grandchildren. Donna Mae?s journey from illness to Home was chronicled by her family on CaringBridge. Hundreds who loved Donna wrote on her website or visited more than 11,000 times. She was blessed by their countless prayers and expressions of concern. She was especially grateful for the prayers of her pastor, and also for each of her exceptionally compassionate hospital and hospice caregivers. Everyone who met Donna was immensely blessed by and grateful for her life. Arrangements are with Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. www.andersonfuneral.net.