Dona Sather

Dona Sather, of Dawson, died Friday, October 4, 2024 at the St. Cloud Hospital at the age of 92.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 13 from 5-7:00 PM at Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson with a prayer service at 6:30 PM. There will also be visitation at the church for one hour before the service.

Dona Mae (Johnson) Sather was born February 6, 1932 at the Clarkfield Hospital the daughter of Henry and Edna (Olson) Johnson. She was baptized February 28, 1932 at Clarkfield Lutheran Church and later confirmed there May 4, 1947. Dona graduated from Clarkfield High School in 1950. In February of 1950 she met Kermit. She had noticed his dancing skills at a dance in Boyd. They were united in marriage on June 29,1952 at Clarkfield Lutheran Church. They were blessed with four children: Wesley, Leslie, Trudy, and Thomas.

When Dona was 15, she worked as a nurse's aide at the Clarkfield Hospital after school and on weekends. She lived with Mathilda Rysdahl and supported herself as she went to school. In 1951, she was hired at the Dawson Hospital and lived in the nurse's dorm until her marriage. Dona continued to work until the birth of their twin sons and then was a stay at home mom for 11 years. When Tom started school, she attended Willmar Community College for the LPN program and graduated with distinction in 1965. She worked at the Dawson clinic for Dr. Johnson and Dr. Maus. After Dr. Johnson's death, she decided to go back to the work at the hospital and continued to work there for 15 years. She later worked at the care center in the activities department until she was 80.

During her life, she was a member of the DAV Auxiliary and volunteered at the Johnson Memorial Thrift Store for 10 years. She has knitted many, many stocking caps for family members and the children in the Dawson-Boyd Elementary School. Dona donated all of Kermit's memorial money for the cemetery posts and Wes and Les built them. 

Kermit and Dona enjoyed dancing and he would always whisper "Can I have this dance for the rest of my life?" They traveled extensively including all of the states, several countries in Europe, and cruises in Alaska, the Caribbean, and Norway. Dona took a cruise over the Atlantic Ocean that ended in Portugal and they also took a hover craft across the English Channel and watched the changing of the guards in London.

She is survived by her children: Wesley (Vallerie) Sather, Leslie (Debra) Sather, Trudy Miller, and Thomas Sather; sixteen grandchildren: Stacy, Theresa, Ken, Wade, Ryan, Renae, Knute, Shannon, Torina, Eric, Tim, Tara, Talyn, Lindsay, Kyle and Rachel; twenty one great-grandchildren: Caleb, Kaitlin, Kameron, Madelyn, Colten, Madison, Everly, Kenton, William, Peyton, Trent, Claire, Ryder, Makena, Lennox, Palmer, Devin, Kyler, Ronnie, Kolby, and Greta; a sister, Lois Knudson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents: her husband, Kermit in 2002; her siblings: Mary (Roger) Stevens, David Johnson, Henry Johnson, Jr., James Johnson, Richard Johnson, Elizabeth (Donald) Dack, and John Johnson; and a brother-in-law, Arthur Knudson.