Reflections of this heroine keep returning in the memory.
Farm girl, cowboy’s wife, encouraging mother, never ceasing community thinker, lifetime friend Donna Muller passed away several weeks ago.
First are ruminations of Donna wearing a summer dress appropriate for the ’50s in her lawn chair collecting rosettes.
Husband cowboy Kenny was showing home raised Quarter Horses winning purple prizes pitched to Donna ringside at the county fair. It made a lifetime impression on a wannabe cowboy who didn’t even own a horse.
The family acquaintance went back decades earlier when Mom was Donna’s country school teacher. A prized scrapbook possession is the photograph Donna had of her and Mom on the first day of school.
She actually followed footsteps teaching country school for a while. Both sides of Donna’s family were lifetime Four Mile community farmers; always Buchman’s Grocery customers.
Fair time was a highlight for Donna since her 4-H club days. A Four Mile 4-H Club leader, helping members, Donna guided her own children Suzanne and Richard to statewide titles.
Donna’s cinnamon rolls and county commissioners’ cookie jar entries were always fair champions.
Her certain knack for helping develop project talks and demonstrations earned many youth blue ribbons. Donna was often called to judge such competitions including FFA speech contests many years.
Hardships challenge the best as Donna’s youngest child Todd’s health issues from birth were fared in farm woman stride.
Changing times, Donna worked in town and then served public office several years. Farm heritage became evident in her leadership.
Well remember calling vice president Donna to assume the president’s chair so he could nominate her to that position. Elected president of the Morris County 4-H Foundation, Donna heartfelt served with her brainchild’s remaining important decades later.
With health confinements, Donna continued lifelong love for reading, hosting cinnamon-roll gatherings, strong 4-H and community interests offering ripened wisdom.
Forever devout, Donna in retirement anticipated visits with Pastor John Messer becoming confidante and appropriately presenting her memorial service.
The good pastor shared Donna’s “Four C’s” philosophy: Careful; Company; Choices; and Consequences. “Be careful of the company you keep and the choices you make because you will pay the consequences.”
Pastor Messer surmised, “Our lives and our eternal destiny are shaped by our choices.”
Reminded of Proverbs 11:25: “One reaps the generosity that has been sown.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
XIII–13–3-24-1