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Photo of Donna J. (Bobenmoyer) Oliver

Donna J. (Bobenmoyer) Oliver

5/8/1938 - 7/17/2021


Obituary


Donna J. Oliver, 83 of Dows passed away on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at the Rehabilitation Center of Hampton.

Visitation will be held Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 2:00PM to 4:00PM at the Dows Legion Post #523, 120 East Ellsworth Street in Dows.

Private family burial will take place at Fairview Cemetery in Dows.

Donna June (Bobenmoyer) Oliver, the daughter of Merle and Sylvia (Molgaard) Bobenmoyer, was born May 8, 1938 in Audubon, Iowa.

Donna grew up in Orleans and went to Spirit Lake High School, where she met her sweetheart, John Oliver. The couple was united in marriage on February 27, 1954 in Lake Park, Iowa. To this union eight children were born.

The couple moved through out Iowa but set roots in Dows in 1971. Donna was a homemaker who cared for her family. She was a doctor, cook, teacher, and everything in between for all her children.

Donna enjoyed to read, playing computer games, and camping with friends. She was especially lucky when it came to lottery tickets, pull tabs, and scratch tickets. Donna was a great cook, she is known for her homemade egg noodles, potato salad, and shepherd’s pie.

Donna’s motto of “never giving up” and “it is what it is” along with her strong determined personality helped her become a cancer survivor.  Donna will be remembered for having open arms for everyone and treating everyone with the same respect.

Donna is survived by daughters, Mary (Bob) Hackbarth, Marcia Wesenberg, Jackie  (Joel) Groom, Julie (Arlynn) Ahrens, Judy (Doug Thomas) Oliver; sons Mark (Shelley) Oliver and Mike (Chris) Oliver; 21 grandchildren; 43  great-grandchildren with one on the way; three great great-grandchildren; sister Pat Gerlovich; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents, husband John Oliver, Sr. in 1998, son John Oliver, Jr. in 2009, brother Jerry Bobenmoyer and brother-in-law Jack Gerlovich.