Donna Williamson

Donna June Williamson, age 69, of Springfield, passed away following a courageous, 3 year battle with Multiple Myeloma, at 5:41 p.m. on Friday, July 20, 2007 in St. John's Hospital surrounded by Family.

She was born on May 24, 1938, in Springfield, Missouri to LeRoy A. Patterson and Gaylen L. French Patterson, and was preceded in death by her father, in February of this year.

She is survived by her mother, Gaylen; a sister, Norma F. Salchow; two children, Renee M. Pellham and Kevin L. Williamson; two grandchildren, Elena B. Stephens and Tyler B. Messier; two great-grandchildren, C. Riley Stephens, and T. Schaffer Stephens; a nephew, George D. Schultz, Jr.; a niece, L. Ember Salchow; and a great-nephew, Chance L. McPhetridge; an aunt, Katherine Patterson; and many beloved cousins in Joplin, Missouri, as well as other parts of the country.

Donna grew up in Springfield, but spent time as a child with her grandparents in Joplin, Roy and Ada French, as well as Roy and Maude Watts. She worked during her teens at the Star Roll Arena until it closed in 1957. A graduate of St. Agnes H.S., she received a B.S. in Education from SMSU, majoring in French and English. She taught in St. Louis Co. at Lafayette H.S. in Ellisville one year, Camdenton H.S. three years (French, English IV, Journalism), and continued as a substitute teacher after returning to Springfield. After getting a Masters in Guidance and Counseling at SMSU in 1976, she was a volunteer coordinator of a Divorced Persons Support Workshop that met every Friday night from Jan. 1980 to May 2002 (22 plus years). She later began teaching Group Counseling in the Graduate Counseling Dept. at SMSU in the summer of 1996 and retired in April of 2004.

Her hobbies included roller skating, dancing, camping, water skiing, sewing, genealogy and world travel. In fact, she had traveled to 47 countries while accompanying her longtime friend Josephine LeCompte, and had studied French a semester at Alliance Francaise in Paris, France. She had written a book on the genealogy of the paternal branch of her family, and had nearly completed one for her mother's side. During her Divorce Persons Workshop, Donna touched many lives and was often commended by those she had helped through difficult times. With her selfless personality, she would drop what she was doing to help anyone in need. Once, when a grieving Veteran began firing shots at one of their Friday night meetings, she cleared the room, then returned to calmly and compassionately council him while the Police gathered outside.

She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24 and the funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, both at Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home, 500 E. Walnut with the burial in White Chapel Memorial Gardens. Online condolences can be made at www.hhlohmeyer.com.