- Date Of Birth: April 4, 1929
- Date Of Death: April 16, 2018
- State: Illinois
Donna Mae Farmer, 89, of Jacksonville, IL, and formerly of Ashland, IL died Monday, April 16, 2018, at Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville. She was born April 4, 1929, in rural Scott County, the daughter of Owen B. and Myrtle Ham Lael. She married H. Edward “Red” Farmer on June 6, 1954, in Jacksonville and he preceded her in death on October 23, 2012.
She is survived by two children, Diane Nickel (husband, Jerry) of Alexander and Dwayne Farmer (wife, Vicky) of Ashland; six grandchildren, Kyle Anderson of Virginia, who was raised in their home, Heather Hays (husband, Jason), Garrett Nickel (wife, Jessica), Mandy Maltby (husband, Harold) and Kayla Farmer, all of Ashland, and Stacy Farmer (fiancé, Chris Williams) of Jacksonville; seven great-grandchildren, Chloe, Calla, and Camber Maltby, Camden and Wyatt Hays, and Scyler Williams and her soon-to-be-born baby sister; two sisters, Eleanor Mason (husband, Glenn) and Carolyn Summers (husband, Larry), all of Jacksonville; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Denise Anderson, and her husband, Reggie; two brothers, Richard Lael in infancy and John Lael (surviving wife, Mary Lou of Ashland); and two sisters, Marilyn Smith, and Maxine Homer.
A 1948 graduate of Chapin High School, Donna worked for a brief time while her fiancé, Red, was serving in the Korean Conflict. She wrote him letters daily for two years except for Saturdays “as there was no mail on Sunday”. Donna became a devoted full-time wife and mother, serving several years as a leader for the Berea Lassies 4-H Club along with her dear friend and neighbor, Jean Martin.
Donna was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Ashland, where she was a member of the Ada Walbaum Circle and earned her reputation over the years as “The Kool-Aid Lady” for the church’s vacation Bible School. She was a long-time member of the Friendly 12 Bunco Club and formerly served as a Morgan County election judge.
She was well-known for her meatloaf, potato salad, and angel food cake with caramel icing that she made sure graced the table at every church potluck, Yatesville square dance, and neighborhood horse rides. Donna loved to square dance with her beloved “Red” and they never missed a dance at Yatesville.
In recent years, Donna and “Red” resided at Knollwood Retirement Center in Jacksonville until his passing. She continued residing at Knollwood until January of 2018 when she relocated to Heritage Health in Jacksonville. She had a reputation for displaying a great engaging smile even when she did not recognize nor hear you. She recently celebrated her 89th birthday sharing her favorite ice cream cake with her entire family. She will be dearly missed by those who knew her!
