Donna Elaine Petersen was the last of 10 children born to Pete and Lena Green on April 29, 1939, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Her family moved to Weiser, Idaho when she was 8 years old where they continued to farm. She worked in the fields until she got her first job at Dairy Queen when she was 16.
After graduating from Weiser High School in 1956, she moved to Portland to live with her brother Roy and his family. She met her future husband, Ken, at a local dance hall. They were married on April 19, 1958, in Weiser, Idaho. For their honeymoon they took a Greyhound bus to Minnesota to visit Ken’s Mom. They resided in Portland until 1960, moved to St. Paul, Minnesota for a few months, where their daughter was born. They moved back to Portland and had two sons, born in 1961 and 1964.
Donna worked at various jobs to help support their family and retired from Bonneville Power Administration on January 2, 1999, after 25 years of service. Her hobbies included fishing, traveling in their motorhome, cooking, crocheting, scrapbooking, gardening and enjoying time with her family and friends. She passed away in her home on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
Donna is survived by her three children, Kim Drake (Jeff), Doug Petersen (Sue), Todd Petersen (Julie) and brother Roy Green (Dorothy). She had 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren who she adored.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 12 at 11a.m. at Christ the Vine Lutheran Church. Light refreshments will be served following the service. Burial will be at Willamette National Cemetery at 1:30pm.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to Christ the Vine Lutheran Church in Donna’s name at 18677 SE Hwy 212, Damascus, OR 97089.