Donna Sonmor

Donna Mae Evavold Sonmor went to live with her Lord & Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at home surrounded by her daughters, Michelle and Pam. She was born on May 15, 1933 to Roy and Mildred (Helleckson) Evavold in Tumuli Township - rural Elbow Lake. Donna attended District 64 Country School and learned to play the piano exceptionally well at a very young age.

Donna went on to win the Caleb Dorr Scholarship and graduated from the West Central School of Agriculture (Morris, MN) in 1951. She was an Honor Student, served on the Student Council, Girls Athletic Association, Young Peoples Christian Board, sang in the Mixed Chorus and was the Activities Editor for the Yearbook. Donna’s friends said she was, “as likeable as loveable” and gave her the title of Homecoming Queen her senior year.

After high school, Donna worked for the Ottertail County Treasurers Office in Fergus Falls from 1951-1953. She married Allen Jerome Sonmor on April 4, 1953 and had two daughters, Michelle Rae in 1954 and Pamela Jane in 1964. Donna was a very kind & caring mother and raised them with love & devotion by herself. Michelle & Pam admired her intelligence, talent, work ethic, creativity and unrelenting determination to succeed. Donna was an amazing Mother and her daughters looked up to her and loved her very much.

Donna had a passion for music and loved to play the piano throughout her life. She performed for many community programs & events including church services, weddings & funerals. She was also the organist at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Dalton for many years and enjoyed accompanying soloists and vocal ensembles.

Donna shared her love of music with her daughters and inspired them to love music as well. She never had to tell Michelle or Pam to practice because her passion for music was so influential & present in their lives every day. Donna loved attending their concerts & recitals and helped both of them graduate with degrees in music from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She knew the power of music would transform their lives and it did.

Professionally, Donna worked in the banking industry in Fergus Falls for 31 years from 1965 until she retired in 1996. She performed extremely well in numerous departments and could always be trusted to balance accounts to the penny each and every day. Donna was conscientious & articulate and did a lot of the work that computers are doing today. She loved working with her colleagues who became lifelong friends.

After retiring from the bank, Donna became a Foster Grandparent and volunteered for numerous clubs and organizations. She was a member of the Concert Association, Treasurer for the Pioneer Care Center Auxiliary, Secretary for the Sons of Norway, Center for the Arts Volunteer, and an Election Judge. You could always find Donna on a Relay for Life Team because as a cancer survivor, she believed it was very important to raise money for research. Donna was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for fifty-nine years, taught Sunday School, and was a member of the Alter Guild. As a member of the Sarah Circle, she raised money to renovate the church kitchen through the organization of salad luncheons and the development of church recipe books. Donna also enjoyed helping the office staff by folding bulletins for Sunday Services.

To Donna, family was everything. She loved getting together with her brothers & sisters and nieces & nephews to celebrate holidays, birthdays and special occasions like weddings or baptisms. She loved to socialize with her friends, visit her daughter Pam in Whitewater, Wisconsin and watch her granddaughter Amber perform in numerous plays and musicals. The hobbies she enjoyed the most included her lifelong love of playing the piano, making delicious meals & deserts, creating beautiful cross-stitch pictures & Christmas stockings for her family, and walking around Lake Alice.

Preceding Donna in death are her parents, her brother Roger Evavold, her brother Gaylan Evavold, her sister Carolyn Nelson and her sister-in-law Mary Evavold.

Left to mourn her loss are her daughters, Michelle Sonmor of Sartell, MN and Pamela Sonmor-Wintz (Mike Wintz) of Whitewater, WI, granddaughter Amber Wiest of Whitewater, WI, sister, Audrey Pletan (Rodney) of Forest Lake, MN, sister-in-law Bev Evavold of Fergus Falls, MN, brother-in-law, Ronnie Nelson of Rochester, MN and numerous beloved nieces & nephews.

Donna will be remembered for her smile, faith, strength, courage & compassion, love of music, sense of humor, style, and devotion to family & friends. She will be deeply missed by everyone she knew & loved.

Service: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 19, 2023 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, with visitation one-hour prior to the service at the church.
Clergy: Reverend Eliza Johnson
Interment: Rock Prairie Cemetery, rural Elbow Lake, MN

Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com