Donna L. Van Dell, 94, passed away peacefully at home, on Saturday July 22, 2017. Donna was born in Arthur, Nebraska May 6, 1923 to her loving parents Leroy C. and Florence Fern Spence. She was the middle of five children.
Her family travelled a great deal. Throughout her life, Donna lived in Arthur, Bladen, and Blue Hill, Nebraska; Manhattan, and Osborn, Kansas, then settled in Salem, Oregon in 1937. This is where she met the love of her life, Mose Van Dell, one evening at a dance.
The two were married at Ft. Lewis, Washington on January 26, 1943 and had their son Robert Leroy Van Dell in October of 1943. When the Army transferred Mose to Long Beach, CA, then later to Ft. Hood, Texas, Donna loaded up baby Bobby into her 1936 Chevy Coupe and drove the distance to be with Mose. They moved a total of three times, the last being when Mose was discharged in 1946, and they moved back to Salem. This is where they then had their daughter Shirley in December of 1949.
Donna and Mose loved to Square Dance and Round Dance. They built the Salem Square Dance Center in Salem, OR, taught classes three times a week, and danced on Friday and Saturday nights together. On top of teaching classes, they also loved the commercial fishing life. Mose built commercial fishing boats and a cabin in Pacific City, and before it was all over, daughter and son, and grandsons were fishing on their own boats. Fishing took over the entire family. Bowling was another hobby she really enjoyed. She bowled approximately 50 years on various teams and leagues and served as the bowling leagues secretary for several years. Donna also won many, many, awards during her career.
She truly was a great mom. For several years, she happily was volunteered, by Shirley, to be a room mother, plan room parties, make costumes, sew cheerleader outfits, help teachers, or ironing choir robes at Shirley’s school, and helped out at the senior center, serving coffee and welcoming seniors.
Donna dearly loved her dachshunds. She brought Willie home for Mose when he was ill with cancer. It was love at first sight. Mose was never out of Willie’s sight. The dog would sleep next to the hospital bed in the living room and if Mose wiggled, Willie would be running to wake up Donna because he thought Mose needed her.
Donna was preceded in death by her husband Mose Van Dell, in 1995 due to cancer; her son Robert Van Dell passed away of Leukemia in 2015; her sister Marjorie Stogner, and her brother Gordon Spence.
Donna is survived by her daughter Shirley K Van Dell of Salem, OR, her sister Ramona Beckford of San Carlos, CA, brother Ronald Spence of Portland, OR, her grandsons Bryan and Mark Graves, and Russell Van Dell, and her granddaughter, Tracey Reader. She also has several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
We will miss her, but we rejoice in knowing she had a wonderful life. Donna is going to be with the Lord and her loved ones again.
Services will be held at Restlawn Funeral Home, 201 Oak Grove Rd. Salem, OR 97304 on Monday July 31, 2017 at 2:00pm with a reception to follow. Donations are to be made to the Willamette Humane Society in the name of Donna Van Dell.