Donna Lawver

Donna Lee Lawver, 89, of Colby, died Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at UC Health Anschutz Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. She was born on July 16, 1931, in McCook, Nebraska, to Robert John Drury and Edna Frances (Peters) Rush.

Donna was raised on a farm with her parents and three siblings outside Oberlin, Kansas. She attended a one-room school, with fewer than 20 kids, ranging in grades one through eight, before boarding with a family in Oberlin to attend high school. While in high school, her host family had a nephew that visited. After graduating from high school, she married that nephew, Dennis Page. They moved to Bird City and raised two daughters; Sherri (Richard) Cork, of Wichita, KS and Shela (Kelly) Reilley, of Aurora, CO.

In 1973 she married Elmer Lawver and got four bonus children; Alan (Brenda), of Sioux City, IA, Margaret Anne (Vernon) Becker, of Hays, KS, David (Tracy) Lawver, of Basehor, KS and Steve (Chevelle) Lawver, of Carl Junction, MO.

Donna was a loving wife and mother and tackled her recent leukemia diagnosis with the same strength, dignity and grace that she approached life. On the day she was diagnosed, she said she had lived a good life, and she had hoped to live longer, because she had more living to do than the time she had left.

For most of her life she was a homemaker, but she had various jobs, including being a nanny, a maid, an income tax filing assistant and a school lunchroom worker. Her favorite job was being a telephone operator which she did in Los Angeles, Calif., for two years in the late 1950’s and in Bird City.

She was active in supporting the Lion’s Club and volunteered as a Pink Lady at Citizens Medical Center. She was room mom at the school for many years. She enjoyed traveling to visit family, for Lion’s Club and educational trips. She enjoyed sewing, baking, flower gardening and arranging, embroidery, showing quarter horses, Antique Roadshow, murder mystery shows and country music programs.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; siblings, Lemoin Rush and Sharon (Jerry) Schuetz. She is survived by her brother, Pete Rush and her children.

Visitation will be 4:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 at the United Methodist Church, Colby. A graveside service and burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 12, 2020 at the Veteran’s Cemetery, WaKeeney, KS. Memorials are suggested to the Colby United Methodist Church or Genesis Food Bank and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com