Donna Schoch

VISITATION:

9 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2017 at Faith Lutheran Church, 733 Woodward Avenue, Chippewa Falls

SERVICE:

11 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2017 at Faith Lutheran Church, 733 Woodward Avenue, Chippewa Falls

Donna Mae (Cook) Schoch, passed away peacefully on January 18, 2017 with family by her side at HSHS Sacred Heart at the age of 86.

She was born on March 31, 1930 to Raymond J. and Ruth B. (Olson) Cook in Chippewa Falls, WI. She grew up on Garden Acres and graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School in 1948.Shortly after graduation, she met Donald Schoch on a blind date and they were married June 4, 1949 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. They had three daughters and moved them back to Garden Acres to a home they had built stick by stick with the help of family members. She lived in the house until moving to the Manor shortly before her death.

Donna worked at Woolworth's in Chippewa Falls during her high school years and then was a stay at home wife and mom. In 1967,she was hired by Gordy Schafer to work at his first grocery store on Main Street. When Gordy opened a store in the Lake Wissota area, she was moved to that location to be his Bookkeeper.She also worked in this capacity when Gordy's Hardware Hank was opened, working at both places and then settling at the hardware store until retiring in 2010. The relationships she formed with the Schafer family through the years was an extension of her own family and she kept these even after she had retired.

She was a remarkable woman in many ways.Donna loved her husband dearly and when he passed she decided to continue to live her life fully and fill it with family and friends. She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church where she was a Sunday School Teacher for over 50 years. Donna was very creative making quilts, knitting and crocheting, ceramics and doing some oil paintings, showing much of her work at the Chippewa Valley Art Show.

Donna belonged to several card clubs, one being the "Fruit Cakes" and continued being a part of these until just recently. She had an amazing sense of humor and laughed often. But most of all, she was such a loving Mom and Grandma. She taught all of her children and grandchildren the way to love their families to the fullest and that would be her legacy. She will rest peacefully knowing that she was such a shining light and example to her family and friends.

Donna is survived by her three daughters, Mary J. King, Pamela Gerdes and Marlys (Brian) Van Ert; her grandchildren, Jason (Anna) Perkins, Shane Perkins, Tiffany Perkins, Anna (Nate Jackson) King, Odessa (Cory) Hettinga, Polly (Will Franzen) King, Luke (Cristina Raether) Hedrington, Sarah (Steve Larson) Hedrington and Justin (Rachel) Hedrington; 15 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Also surviving her is her life-long friend, whom she loved dearly, Bea Roycraft.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald in December, 1992; her parents; her brother, Gerald (Elaine) Cook; her son-in-law, Heinz Gerdes; great-grandchildren, Carter and Mallory Hettinga; and all of her in-laws.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2017, at Faith Lutheran Church, 733 Woodward Avenue, Chippewa Falls, with a visitation beginning at 9 a.m. at the church. Rev. William Plautz will be officiating.