Doris Donner |April 30, 1934 - November 12, 2020
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Nov 17, 2020 | 9:41 AM / 597 views
Visitation: 10:30am, Saturday, November 21, 2020 at Feigum Funeral Home
Funeral Service: 11:00am, Saturday, November 21, 2020 at Feigum Funeral Home
**Services will also be broadcast live here at www.feigumfh.com**
Interment: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Blunt, SD
**Masks will be required for public service attendance**
Doris Jean Donner passed away at Avantara Nursing Home on November 12, 2020 at age 86. She was born April 30, 1934 in Elkhart, Kansas to Leo and Emma Sipes. She attended school in Elkhart, Kansas and graduated in May 1952. After graduating she met and married Lester Donner on May 16, 1953 at his sister’s home near Harrold, South Dakota. They made Pierre their home and raised three children there. She began working for the South Dakota Department of Health in September 1959 where she held numerous positions within the Vital Records Division. In her role with the Department of Health, she was actively involved in developing South Dakota’s electronic birth certificate filing system. She represented South Dakota in various national health statistics organizations and later became involved in inspections of funeral homes throughout the state. She served under eleven Governors during her tenure with the Department of Health. After losing her husband in January 1995, she retired from the state on May 24, 1995. After retirement she worked at the Capitol during legislative session for many years and with Fleet and Travel. She later married Robert (Bob) Porter of Onida on September 11, 1999.
Doris was very active in Toastmasters, the Red Hat Society, bowling, and bunkos. She spent her free time having coffee with the girls, reading, and loved a good game of cards. When her children were young, she was an avid sewer and loved to crochet. While married to Les, family vacations consisted of attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally where she rode the 3-wheel trike that Les built and he always rode his Harley with the sidecar for the kids. When her daughters were older and played softball, she was at most every game and was their biggest cheerleader. The girls on the team gave her the nickname “Big D”. During her later years, when the family got together to play cards, she always claimed that we cheated if she didn’t win, as she did not like to lose. Although she was small in stature, she was the rock of the family and was never afraid to speak her mind. She loved being the center of attention, which was well deserved.
Doris was proceeded in death by her parents, Lester’s parents, her husband Lester Donner, her sister Vernita Wagoner, brothers Vernon and Marvin Sipes, and numerous brother and sisters-in-law. She is survived by her children, Les (Lisa) Donner, Alana (Sheldon) Suiter, April (Scott) Kelly, husband Robert Porter and his children and grandchildren, grandsons Brent Gourneau, Jeff Gaetze and granddaughter Rhiannon Nothdurft.
