Donna Lee Roth was born Feb. 6, 1934, on a farm near Seward, to Jake and Esther Roth, the third of six children, and passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, at Kinship Pointe Assisted Living Center in Seward at the age of 87.
As a young girl, Donna attended Glendale Country School District #49 through the eighth grade. Donna accepted Christ as her personal Savior at East Fairview Mennonite Church, was baptized and was a faithful member. She helped her parents on the farm as a young girl. On Dec. 30, 1951, she was united in marriage to Willis Roth and to this union, three children were born, Susan, Dwight and Samuel. Over the years, Donna enjoyed doing domestic work and cleaned houses for more than 40 years. She was a loving mother and farm wife. Donna served her Lord by faithfully serving in the church teaching Sunday School, vacation Bible school and was an officer in the WMSC sewing group. Donna spent many hours reading and memorizing Scripture. She especially enjoyed reading the Psalms and they became a main source of comfort and strength to her over the years. She loved to bake and cook, especially cinnamon rolls, cookies and homemade noodles, which she enjoyed sharing with all family members. Her love for quilting blessed many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; each stitched together with love. Family was a very important part of Donna’s life and she loved being together with them and having fun. Donna was blessed with a second marriage to Harold Roth on June 20, 2009, enjoying their companionship together before his death in 2016.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Floyd Nitzsche; sons and daughter-in-law, Dwight and the late Kendra Roth, Sam and Dawn Roth, all of Milford; 10 grandchildren, Kendall (Natalie) Nitzsche, Bill (Natalie) Nitzsche, Dina (Nevin) Hershberger, Mindy (Nate) Reil, Molly (Merlin) Miller, Ryndi Roth, Ty Roth, Keisha Roth and fiance, Blaine Teeter, Wade and Wyatt Roth; 18 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers-in-law, Aloha and Wayne Roth, Lori and Earl McCullough, all of Milford; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dennis and Phyllis Roth, Topeka, Kansas; along with many nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Willis in 2000, Harold in 2016; daughter-in-law, Kendra in 1997; sisters and brother-in-law, Arvilla and Wilton Schweitzer, Fredetta Roth; brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Eleanor Roth; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Vern and Lucille Stauffer and Merle and Arlene Stutzman.
A funeral service was Feb. 11 at East Fairview Mennonite Church in Milford with interment at the church cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the church. Condolences may be left for the family at www.lauberfh.com.
