Donna Blackburn, 87
Aug. 7, 1925-Aug. 8, 2012
Niles Daily Star, Published 10:08pm online Thursday, August 9, 2012
- Blackburn
Donna J. Blackburn, 87, of Niles, died at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, at Lakeland Specialty Hospital in Berrien Center following an extended illness.
She was born Aug. 7, 1925, in Niles to Raymond and Edna (Wilcox) Goodling.
She graduated from Niles High School and lived in Niles most of her life. She was a former employee at Simplicity Pattern Co. in Niles.
Donna was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Niles. She enjoyed playing bingo at several area games, and fishing, especially at Bear Lake in Jones.
On Aug. 3, 1944, in Merced, Calif., she married Eldon R. Blackburn, with whom she celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary earlier this month.
Surviving family includes her husband, Eldon; their children, Kathy (Jeff Burrows) Malone, of Niles, Gary (Sandy) Blackburn, of Niles, and Barbara J. Speers, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; grandchildren, Tom (Becky) Kessler, Wendy (Jeromy) Hansen, Kelly (Sara Gibson) Rakowski, Erin (Dylan) Brooker and Amy (Brett) Nielsen; many great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Gail Harmon, who died March 13, 2012, and by Donna’s sisters, Shirley “Sis” Stowe, who died in 1994, and Sally Fulbright, who died in 1997.
The funeral service for Donna J. Blackburn will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13, at First Presbyterian Church in Niles with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence officiating, assisted by Elder Ray Fulbright, both of the church.
Committal services will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.
The family will receive friends and relatives from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles.
Contributions in memory of Donna Blackburn may be made to The Foundation of the First Presbyterian Church or to Hospice at Home.