Donna Sivesind

Donna Sivesind, 76, of Waukon died Friday, February 14, 2014 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, February 19 at 11 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waukon, with Rev. Lynn Groe officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, February 18 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.
Donna Mae (Harms) Sivesind was born November 21, 1937 in Charles City, the daughter of William and Caroline (Bachmann) Harms. She was baptized at the Lutheran Church in Charles City and confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Elma. Donna spent her early years in the Charles City and Elma areas and then moved with her family to Waukon, where in 1956 she graduated from Waukon High School.
June 2, 1956 she married Gordon Raymond Sivesind at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon. They started out farming and continued working together as milk testers for DHIA for several years. Donna was a devoted and very busy homemaker as she kept the family going and tended to the needs of her seven children. She was a hard worker and well organized no matter what she was doing and insisted things go the way she thought was best.
Donna was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and active in Ladies Circle activities, especially quilting. She enjoyed fishing, playing cards and going to cattle shows, and spent a lot of time in her large garden. She enjoyed numerous trips to various parts of the country as well as Australia to visit family members. In recent years Donna enjoyed spending time with and following the activities of her grandchildren.
Survivors include her seven children, Debra (Ed) Espe of Decorah, Gayle (Ron) Greene of Ft. Morgan, CO, Dianne (Mark) Cline of Decorah, Gary (Helen) Sivesind of Gunbower, Australia, Dorothy (John) Roldson of Waukon, Gregg Sivesind of Minneapolis, MN and Dawn (John) Mickey of Castlewood, SD; 10 grandchildren, Melissa (Noel) Swartz of Thornton, CO, Sara Espe of Redfield, Samantha Espe of Denver, CO, Ashley Greene of Evans, CO, Zach Greene of Ft. Morgan, CO, Shannon (Jenna) Cline of Perry, Darrin Cline of Des Moines, Anna Sivesind of Gunbower, Australia, and Hannah and James Mickey, both of Castlewood, SD; three step-grandchildren, Nicole (Jarod) Ley of Kersey, CO, Mindy Hager of Eaton, CO and Tyler (Cassie) Greene of Ft. Morgan, CO; three great-grandchildren, Logan and Elly Swartz and Mila Orr; four step-great-grandchildren, Shelbie and Kyle Ley, Addison Hager and Dawsyn Greene; three brothers, Donald (Betty) Harms of Marble Rock, Duane (Verna) Harms of Denver and David (Carol) Harms of Alpharetta, GA; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Coreen Troendle of Waukon, Frank (Carol) Sivesind of Waukon, Gene (Jane) Sivesind of Waukon, Marian (T. Hans) Olson of Eau Claire, WI, Alice (David) Terbeest of Canton, MN, Ann (James) Kvam of Charleston, SC, Donna Rae Harms of San Jose, CA and Donald Larsen of Waukon; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Gordon, who died in 1998; four sisters, Mabel (William) Ehling, Cora Harms, Shirley (Walt) Sly and Sharon Larsen; 3 brothers. Harold, Willard and Roger Harms; a son-in-law, Robert Snitker; and a brother-in-law, Kenneth Troendle.
Casketbearers are Shannon Cline, Zach Greene, Danny Sivesind, David Sivesind, Bryan Larsen and Mike Theis.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.