Donna M. McDonald

Donna Mae (Bata) McDonald, 89, of Diagonal, passed away Nov. 17, 2023, at Clearview Home in Mount Ayr. Services are at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the United Church in Diagonal. Burial will follow in the Bohemian Cemetery at Diagonal.

Memorials are established in her name to be decided. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr is in charge of the arrangements.

Donna was born May 30, 1934, to Joseph Frank and Fairy Helen (Jones) Bata at home, south of Diagonal in the Toman Hills. She was welcomed home by older sisters Louise and Reva. Later, her adopted brother, Joseph Albert, joined the family.

The temperature on Donna’s birthday was 97 degrees Fahrenheit, a record high that still holds today. She liked to tell people to have sympathy for her poor mother being in labor with no air conditioning in the heat. Sister, Reva, would tell people to have more sympathy for her and Louise, who had to sit in a hot car all day with their father.

Donna grew up in the Diagonal area and attended Diagonal Community Schools. In 1950 she married Billy Joe Bunker. Donna and Joe welcomed daughter, Deborah Lynn, in 1952. They later divorced.

In 1957 Donna married Marion “Dean” McDonald in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dean’s work with Hughes Aircraft took them all over the country. They lived in Alaska, Florida, Michigan, California, Arizona, Utah and Washington. While Donna enjoyed traveling and living in different parts of the country, she was happy to return to Diagonal in 1971. She lived in the same home until 2023, when she entered Clearview Nursing Home in Mount Ayr.

In 1958 Dean and Donna adopted Dean’s niece, Valarie Ranae, in Spokane, Washington, and raised her as their own daughter. In 1969, daughter, Angela Michelle was adopted in Arizona to complete the family. Donna loved all her children and cared for many nieces and nephews over the years as well.

Donna worked various jobs during her life, waitressing and working in factories. She worked for many years at Bunn-O-Matic in Creston. She worked at Walmart in Creston. She especially liked working for her sister, Reva, at Revie’s Place in Diagonal and for Mike and Dwight Matheny at Mickey D’s in Clearfield. Donna made friends wherever she worked.

Cooking was a love of Donna’s, and she was known for her omelets, biscuits and gravy and homemade salsa. If you were lucky enough to be gifted a jar of salsa, her only requirement was to return her canning jars so she could make more.

Donna loved owls and had an extensive collection of figurines, plates, pictures, pins and shirts. She was known to wear Hooter’s t-shirts for the owls and people brought her shirts from all over the country and the world.

She loved music and dancing. Caldwell’s was a popular spot to cut a rug at for many years. If she couldn’t find a dance partner, she would go on the floor alone. Donna would also make up her own little songs to serenade the coffee guys at Revie’s Place every morning.

Towards the end of her life, Donna had two cats she loved dearly. Lucy and Desi were great napping buddies, and their antics made her laugh daily.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dean; sisters, Reva Shiflett and Louise Froit; brother, Joe Bata and nephew, Steven Shiflett.

Survivors include her daughters, Deborah (Glen) Dodd and Angela McDonald; grandchildren, Melinda (Terry) Kilberg and Aaron (Susan) Dodd; great-grandchildren, Cael and Eyan Kilberg, Jackson Amunson and Aubree and Saylor Dodd and many friends.

Donna shared her love of life and laughter with everyone she met. She will be missed by all who knew her.