THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICES ARE POSTPONED UNTIL A LATER DATE, DUE TO COVID CONCERNS AND NEW MN STATE REGULATIONS ON GROUP GATHERINGS. Donna, 82 passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Hills, Rapid City, SD on November 2. 2019. She was surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her forever soul mate, Bob Mielke and her parents, Alvera Reese and Theodore Stueven. Donna was born in Pipestone, MN on May 9, 1937. She attended high school there and went on to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She received a teaching certificate and went to Maryland for a parochial teaching position for a short while. She then moved to Vicenza, Italy for 2 years and became a mother. She traveled all over Italy with Cheryl in tow. After returning to the US, she lived in Minneapolis, MN for a short while and was an executive assistant. After being an executive director, Mark was born.. She then moved to Fort Dodge, IA where she worked at a radio station. After less than 2 years, she moved to Mundelein, ILL where she was a beloved kindergarten teacher and she had her son, Craig. Many students kept in contact with her until her death. They often told her that she had been their favorite teacher. Her next move sent her back to Pipestone, MN, where she became the Civil Defense Director of Pipestone County. She was actively involved with the Ambulance Service and became an EMT herself. She moved to Windom, MN after her marriage to Bob on December 26, 1982. She was blessed to share that marriage year with her mother, her daughter and a nephew. She became the Emergency Services Coordinator at the Jackson campus of MN West. Along with Bob, she was instrumental in starting EMT classes serving SW Minnesota. Almost all of SWMN EMTs were trained by them. Many of those EMTs went on to start their own rural ambulance services. In 1996, Donna received the EMT trainer award for the state of MN and went on to be 4th at the National level. She retired in 1999 and split her time between her 2 favorite places Casa Grande, AZ (Val Vista Winter Village) in the winter and Rapid City (Hart Ranch camping resort) in the summer. She was a social butterfly and even started a chapter within the Red Hat Society (Val Vista Violets) and was queen for many years. She continued her love of teaching by becoming a water aerobics instructor at both places. She FINALLY retired at 80 years of age. Four things never wavered in her life: Her love for her family, her faith in the Lord, her zest for life and her smile. She shared her faith continually. Throughout her life, she organized many bible studies and was a Sunday school teacher. Her love and laughter lives on through her children Cheryl (Tom) Wilson, Mark (Erica) Freudenberg, Craig (Melissa) Freudenberg, Bill (Jolaine) Mielke, Dennis (Sandy) Mielke and Tom (Vicki) Mielke as well as 16 grandchildren and 15 (and counting) great grandchildren. Plus all the family she and Bob adopted and loved throughout their travels, especially Jackie Mercado. She will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.