Donna Jean Kneeland's Obituary
A memorial service was held August 25, 2011 at First United Methodist Church in St. Helens for Donna Jean Kneeland, who died of cancer August 22, at age 81 in her home in St. Helens.
Donna Kinney was born in Valley City North Dakota August 22, 1930. She moved with her family, as an infant, to Saskatchewan; they moved to St. Helens in 1942. She was a 1949 graduate of St. Helens High School and all of her adult life was spent in St. Helens.
She was a homemaker and volunteer with March of Dimes. Donna was very involved in the Junior Women?s Club, and in the First United Methodist Church, also volunteering as a den mother with the Scouts, until 1969 when she returned to work for Transamerica, where she became a title examiner, retiring in 1990.
She married Larry Kneeland in 1951. They had been happily married for 55 years when he died in 2006.
She and her family enjoyed camping at lakes and the coast, and many years salmon fishing on on their boat on the Columbia River. In later years she made many trips to Canada for family reunions and also to North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, and Illinois with her sister.
She delighted in watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren playing in ball games and performing in music and dance. She was an avid Trailblazer fan.
Donna is survived by sons Dale of Eugene, Kent of St. Helens, Bruce of Astoria, and Susan Bancroft of St. Helens. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, along with her brother Glen Kinney of Bend and sister Audrey Howell of St. Helens. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Beryl.
At her request, remembrances may be donations to the local food bank.
Inurnment will be at Columbia Memorial Gardens in Scappoose.
Arrangements by Columbia Funeral Home, St. Helens, Oregon
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