Donna L. West

Donna West, 80, of Creston, formerly of Prescott and Corning, passed away Monday, March 24, 2025, at Creston Specialty Care in Creston. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 28, at the First United Methodist Church in Creston. A luncheon hosted by the family will be held prior to the service at noon. Pastor Jodi Rushing will officiate. Burial will be in Prescott at Summit Cemetery. Open visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m., with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 27, at Pearson Family Funeral Service & Cremation Center.

Memorials are to the Creston First United Methodist Church. In memory of Donna, feel free to wear purple, Donna’s favorite color, or Iowa State attire. Memories and condolences for the family can be shared online at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com

Donna Lee (Wilson) West, daughter of Donald Samuel Wilson and Elizabeth Celene (Drorbaugh) Wilson, was born June 29, 1944, in Battle Creek, Michigan. When Donna was just a few days old, they moved to the Carolinas where Don was stationed in the Army.

Donna graduated from Lenox High School in May 1961. She was united in marriage to Dean West. To this union, three children were born: Gary, Larry and Joni. They later divorced.

Donna remained on the farm where she raised large vegetable and beautiful flower gardens. In the summer months she spent many hours working outside in the gardens which led to countless hours in the kitchen both canning and freezing what she could for the coming year.

But more important than raising her gardens was the pride she took in being a mom and teaching her family the values learned on the farm. When the boys were restless, she would encourage them to run around the house. When they returned, she would tell them they needed to go around again, but this time faster, hoping to wear them out. She knew the importance of keeping the kids active both on and off the farm. She never missed a sporting event or play or musical performance.

As she gained grand and great-grandkids, she followed their activities until her health limited her travel. Those kids became the center of her universe.

Donna was active in her church and community. She was a Sunday School/VBS teacher, UYF leader, treasurer, AD council member, Mary Martha Circle leader and helped organize many dinners at the Prescott and Corning churches. It wasn’t a church dinner in Corning without her famous cream puffs.

She was a room mother throughout the school days and went on many field trips with the kids. She helped organize and run the concession stand for various events and even took on the task of making new curtains for the stage at the Prescott School. Donna was a leader for the Royals Workers 4-H Club, organizing the monthly meetings and 4-H tour each year before the Adams County Fair. She was superintendent for the family and consumer science and visual arts building for six to seven years, cheerfully volunteering her time.

In 2020, Donna was inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. Each August Donna enjoyed spending days with her cousin, Marilyn, walking every inch of the Iowa State Fair grounds they could cover. They enjoyed time resting on a bench under a shade tree as much as exploring the grounds. When the kids were in school, Donna enjoyed taking part in Ladies Aid at Salem Church of the Brethren and club with the ladies around the neighborhood.

If you didn’t know, Donna was a people person and very social. As the kids grew older, Donna began to teach classes through Adult Ed, sharing her knowledge of sewing and food preparation. She also gave presentations on container gardening when she could.

She was then on to the next challenge in her life: earning her college degree. Her first semester at SWCC she enrolled in a few accounting classes to see if she could balance taking classes, raising a family and helping on the farm. With the encouragement of some devoted instructors, she transferred after three semesters to NWMSU where she would earn her bachelor’s degree in ag business.

While she was still taking classes, she was approached to run for Adams County auditor, which meant campaigning while studying, all while driving back and forth daily to classes in Maryville, Missouri. With an abundance of determination, she was elected auditor and took her oath of office Jan. 2, 1985. While serving in office she was active with Corning Ambassadors, Rotary, Main Street, Chamber of Commerce and Midwest Opportunities. She was a devoted county employee, making sure to be available to anyone who wanted to speak with her. She would stay in that position until she took a job in January 2006 as deputy auditor in Pottawatamie County, retiring in December 2011.

She was so excited to have more time with family, to be there for them whenever they needed her. Walks at Lake Icaria and paddle boating on the lake, along with an occasional pontoon ride or picnic were some of her favorites. She also helped deliver Meals on Wheels to Corning residents and was treasurer for the Rose Ann’s Auxilary. What started out as being a substitute to a ladies’ card group turned into a permanent player of Hand and Foot.

Donna was a talented seamstress, able to follow a pattern or make a pattern of her own. She made beautiful quilts, crafty items, wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. She shared her talents with 4-H kids or others who wanted to learn the art. She had so much patience and even enjoyed sewing with Joni on her lap when she was little. She thoroughly enjoyed weekend sewing retreats with the Sew Sweet group in Creston, although in the end she enjoyed the conversation and not as much sewing.

When she moved from the farm in Prescott to town, living in Corning, she adapted from her flower gardens to flower pots, growing the most gorgeous flowers each summer. She liked to grow plants beyond the basic flower types, with her steps being overgrown with beautiful flowering plants. Her grandkids always told her it was like walking through a jungle. She also donated her time and talents to planting flowers on Corning’s Main Street, volunteering to water when she could.

Though Donna had several health issues in the past year, her faith, family and friends kept her going and were her inspiration to keep fighting.

She will forever be our Mamma Bear, as we affectionately called her, watching over her baby bears. We will miss her saying “Oh piffuls,” and “Be safe now. Text me when you get home.” We know with Mom watching over us, we will be as fine as frog hair, and that is awesome blossom.

Donna is survived by her sons: Gary (Shelly) West of Prescott and their children, Travis (Michelle) West (Ava, Mason, Cecilia and Theo), Michael (Hannah) West (Jordy, Carson and McKenna) and Ashley (Chris) Cadle (Addison, Aurora and Alivia); Larry (Angie) West of Creston and their sons, Brian West and Tyler (Jenna) West (Easton and Allie); daughter Joni (Randy) Cook of Creston and their sons, Ryan (Stephanie) Cook, Kaleb Cook and Jacob (Briana) Cook; brother Mick (Paula) Wilson of Hartsburg, Missouri; sister Angie (Dale) Maassen of Avoca; along with cousins, nieces and nephews.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Don and Betty Wilson and her father- and mother-in-law, Lester and Cecile West.

Left to carry on the Lee middle name are Larry Lee, Brian Lee, Easton Lee, Travis Lee, Mason Lee and Ryan Lee.