I was born June of '45 in Los Angeles, California, the war in Europe was won, but the fighting with Japan continued. My childhood was happy and carefree. I was fortunate to not have electronics or internet so I loved hop scotch, roller skating, bike riding and I was a whiz bang at Jacks and could beat anyone. 😊

In the 1950s I loved riding the streets of L.A. on skates or riding bikes on the high school campus all summer. For 50 cents we could walk from 110th and Normandy to Wilshire Blvd Movie Theater and watch a movie and have a bag of popcorn.

In the joy of my teen years, my parents moved us to Monroe, Oregon. At 14 and in 7th grade I had to start a new school and make new friends; it felt awful! I felt my happy life was over. I ultimately settled in and made new friends.

When I graduated high school, I got a job at a car dealership and learned all my accounting and finance skills. In walked a tall, handsome man who professed he was going to marry me. However, I didn't care for him so I rebuffed his requests for dates…until one day I agreed to a ski trip, even though I didn't ski. I spent the next 56 years with that man, Lane Donaldson was my husband of 55 years and for better or worse, we loved and cared for each other. Lane passed in 2021.

We had two incredible children. Our son Aaron was our first born and the introduction to motherhood full time. Just under three years later, we had our daughter, Amy. Aaron doted on and protected his baby sister Amy. He captivated her "reading" books to her and was fiercely protective of her.

I stayed home until both kids had reached middle school and I did everything I could for them. My kids gave me five beautiful grandchildren who I have treasured for decades. Hunter, McKenna and Sierra Donaldson and Norah and Lane Donaldson Sweigart.

I was also blessed to have a little brother. Larry, you have been an inspiration.

Over the 79 years of this life, I have been so blessed with friends – some for a season, some for a lifetime. I can't name all of them, but it's important to me to mention my love for some of these people's friendship: Tom White, Dana Pearson, Billie & Keith Kerr, Marilyn Willems and so many more.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. at Mueller's Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 S. Union Street in Kennewick.