- Date Of Birth: September 14, 1937
- Date Of Death: March 17, 2019
- State: Illinois
Donna Jean Houston Hurst, 81, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma passed from this life on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at her residence. She was born September 14, 1937 in Peoria, Illinois to George Edward Jr. and Freda Irma Lister Houston, who were raised in the Jacksonville area.
Donna graduated from Kirkwood HS in 1955, attended Drury College, and worked as a flight attendant for TWA before marrying David Gordon Hurst on August 3rd, 1958. Donna later graduated with a nursing degree and went on to work as a Registered Nurse in suburban Cleveland, Ohio.
After her marriage ended, Donna enjoyed a long relationship with her companion, John Kaiser. Together they enjoyed sailing and travel, visiting England, France, Honduras, Mexico, and Costa Rica. She survived pancreatic cancer in the mid 1990s and moved to Duluth, Minnesota in 2006 to live near her daughter, Sarah, after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, which she also beat. In Duluth, she volunteered with the St. Mary’s Cancer Center and found pleasure in spinning her own yarn and knitting, as well as spending time with a group of friends at monthly soup group.
Donna is survived by two daughters, Mindy Laflin and husband John of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Sarah Hurst and husband John Swenson of Duluth, Minnesota; two sons, Mike Hurst and wife Sue of Delano, Minnesota and Jim Hurst and partner Karen Guglielmone of Telluride, Colorado; five grandchildren, Sarah Tirrell and husband Alex, Jenni Pittman and husband Trent, Tory Hurst, Katherine Hurst and Michael Hurst; and three great-grandchildren, Ava Kin, John Kin and Lilly Pittman. Donna was preceded in death by her parents; twin daughters; former husband David Gordon Hurst; companion John Kaiser; one brother, Bill Houston; and one sister, Dorothy Buchanan.
