Olive M. Donner

Although her life spanned more than 100 years, what made Olive Donner such a remarkable woman was her kind and tender heart. She was someone who could always see the good in others and was accepting of everyones differences. Those who knew Olive knew that nothing was more near and dear to her heart than her family, and she lived to care for her husband and daughter in every way. Olive was accompanied by a graceful strength throughout her life and was always up for a challenge even gaining a walking title during the sunset of her life. Olive enjoyed crocheting, but her true delight was found in giving her creations away to countless others within her reach. Throughout her long and fruitful life, Olive significantly touched the lives of those too numerous to count. Life during the year 1907 looked remarkably different in America than the lives we know today. The Wright Brothers took their first flight during this decade while Henry Ford provided the first affordable automobile with a price tag between $700 and $900. This was a time of great significance in the family of Charles and Mary (Linn) Siegel as they welcomed their daughter, Olive Maude Mary, into their hearts and home on March 6th. Born in Williamston, Michigan, Olive was one of the middle of nine children in her family including three brothers, Lawrence, Howard, and Louis, and five sisters, DeEtta, Mabel, Francis, Alice, and Agnes. Olives father was a dairy farmer while her mother was a busy homemaker. Tragedy struck in the Siegel family with the death of Olives sister, Mabel, after she became afflicted with infantile paralysis and pneumonia at the young age of five. Children during this generation had fun in much simpler ways. The Siegel children loved playing hide and seek with other neighborhood children as they had 140 acres of farmland available to them. Olive and her family also enjoyed sleigh rides in the winter and celebrating holidays together. The farming lifestyle was a family affair for the Siegels as Olives brothers milked the cows everyday at five oclock in the morning while Olive and her sisters prepared breakfast. After the chores and breakfast were done, Olive and her siblings would walk three quarters of a mile to their one-room schoolhouse that consisted of six or eight other students. At the time, this particular schoolhouse only taught through the eighth grade and although her siblings all ended their formal education at that point, Olive continued on to high school. She attended Williamston High School where history was her favorite subject and English was her worst subject. Olive graduated in 1927 as the only person in her family to earn a high school diploma. With dreams of becoming a nurse when she was in her late twenties, Olive enrolled in classes at Sparrow Hospital. She purchased her uniforms and was ready to go but unfortunately, life had other plans. While riding in a car with a young man one day, Olive was left unable to walk without crutches for quite some time after he rolled their car trying to beat a train. There was a positive side to this disappointing time in her life, however, as it was shortly after the accident that Olive met Fred Donner through a mutual friend. Not long after they met, Olive and Fred were engaged, although no wedding date was set. The couple later traveled to Ohio to accompany Olives best friend who was eloping with her sweetheart. After much coaxing from their newlywed friends, Olive and Fred drove up the road to a different chapel and were united in marriage themselves on October 26, 1929. As the Great Depression officially began just three days later, jobs became few and far between. When they were down to their last dime with no idea where money for their next meal would come from, Fred got a job that same day. When Olive was 29 years old, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Nancy. Since Olive suffered a miscarriage before Nancy was born, her pregnancy was considered to be high risk and she was forced to be on bed rest throughout nearly the entire pregnancy. Nancys birth was not without challenge either as Olive developed a medical condition that required the doctor to induce labor. They found out a short time later that if Olive would have arrived at Sparrow Hospital just one day later, both Nancy and Olive would most likely have died. A few years later, Olive and Fred learned they were expecting again, but also that Olive was in grave danger because her fallopian tube had ruptured. She was rushed into emergency surgery where she underwent a full hysterectomy. Olive later learned that she was the first woman to successfully undergo surgery of that type. Although the desire of Olives heart was to have more children, they savored every day they were given with their precious daughter. They enjoyed family vacations including camping trips to Houghton Lake, fishing together, and special holiday celebrations. Olive was always there for her daughter and had dinner on the table each evening with a cold beer next to Freds plate when he returned home from work. She loved making Sunday dinners, too, but it was the time they spent eating together that meant the most to Olive. She treasured family time no matter what they were doing, regularly playing cards as a family as well. Later in life, Olive experienced both peaks and valleys along her journey. She was overjoyed to welcome grandchildren into the family and later, both great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Olives granddaughters will forever remember their grandmother brushing their hair in the bathroom while Captain Kangaroo was on. Olive was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved Fred on October 18, 1979, just one week shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. She maintained an active lifestyle, buying a stationary bike when she was 94 and winning a walking title when she was 95. Olive Donner was an extraordinary woman who was thoughtful and caring with a little bit of a rebellious streak thrown in. She was understanding and tender towards those around her. Olive loved Halloween and Detroit Tigers games, but it was being surrounded by her family that she treasured most. She was a member of St. Patricks Catholic Church, enjoyed playing bingo, and crocheted numerous bedspreads, tablecloths, and outfits that she gladly gave away. Olive will be dearly missed and warmly remembered. Olive M. Donner died Friday, August 13, 2010. Olives family includes her daughter, Nancy Goldner (Kyran) Mackey of Fruitport; grandchildren, Kirk (Cathy) Goldner of Owosso, Terry Ann Beach of Waterford, Connie (Jeff) Gundy of Fruitport, Lisa (Brian) Lerond of Grand Rapids; 14 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren. Olive was preceded in death by her parents; husband Fred; 3 brothers and 4 sisters. Services will be held on Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 11:00 a.m. at the Clock Chapel - Fruitport. Interment at Fruitport Cemetery. Visit with Olives family and friends on Monday, 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home Fruitport location Fruitport, MI. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or make a memorial contribution to Hospice of North Ottawa or to the family.