Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - August 9, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding)
Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding), late of Mokena, IL.
Beloved wife of Ted Golden; loving mother of Ryan and Lisa; dear daughter of Marvin and Marion Homerding; proud sister of Linda Mercer and Scott Homerding; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Lying in State Tuesday, 10:00 AM until time of service 11:00 AM at the St. John United Church of Christ 11100 Second Street Mokena, IL. Interment in St. John's Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials to St. John United Church of Christ would be appreciated.
Visitation Monday, 2:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Vandenberg Funeral Home 19604 South Wolf Road Mokena, IL 60448.
********************************************************
SouthtownStar (Chicago, IL) - August 11, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden
Donna Golden, 47, of Mokena, died Aug. 7. Arrangements are by Vandenberg Funeral Homes, (708) 479-1210
*********************************************************
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - September 23, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden: Mokena mom remembered for community involvement
Whenever someone in Mokena needed a hand or volunteers for a project, Donna Golden was first in line.
The wife of Fire Chief Ted Golden got to know many residents through her numerous volunteer activities.
She organized pancake breakfasts with the fire department's ladies auxiliary. She taught Sunday school and performed in the handbell choir at St. John's United Church of Christ in Mokena. And she volunteered as a teacher's aide and room mom in Mokena public schools when her children were young.
"She was good at meeting new people and getting them involved in the community," said her sister, Linda Mercer. "She would tell them, 'You need to be involved in this,' even when they didn't think they wanted to be involved in it.
"A lot of people have that memory of her, and they appreciated it because it was what got themselves so involved in things."
Golden died Aug. 7 after a seven-year battle with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system and prevents the brain's nerve cells from communicating with the spinal cord. She was 48.
Friends and family describe Golden as constantly energetic and bubbly. She loved to sing and could learn a tune just by glancing at a sheet of music. Central to Golden's life was her faith, which she combined with her love of music and children by directing the St. John's children's choir, vacation Bible school and Christmas pageants.
"She was very musically talented," said Sheree Kinder, a former organist for St. John's when Golden was in the choir. "She had a beautiful voice. She was well-loved by the people at church because she always had a smile on her face and always had a good word for everyone."
Golden was born and raised in Mokena with her sister and brother, Scott Homerding. In 1979, she graduated from what is now Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Growing up, Golden lived right across the street from her future husband. The pair started dating in high school and married in 1984. They had two children - Ryan, 20, and Lisa, 17 - and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
They loved meeting people in Mokena and were part of a monthly dinner group that included Mayor Joe Werner.
Golden was first diagnosed with MS in early 2002 when she began having trouble with her eyesight. Her condition rapidly worsened, and within a few years, she began using a wheelchair and no longer could leave her home.
Her husband remodeled their entire house himself so his wife could get around. Caretakers helped Golden during the day, but her husband, children and parents, Marvin and Marion Homerding, took charge of her care on afternoons and weekends.
"For us, it was just part of our lives, that was normal to us," Ted Golden said. "We just took it a day at a time, that's all. We didn't look ahead.
"But she never gave up. She always thought they were going to come up with something. She always thought they were going to find a treatment to make her all better."
Despite challenges to her mobility, Golden kept up with the community and her children's lives through a steady stream of visitors. Her husband videotaped Lisa's high school poms performances and Ryan's water polo games so their mother could watch from home.
She followed the Cubs religiously and never missed watching a game on TV. She was interested in MS research and prayed that a cure for the disease would be found in her lifetime. Close friend Tammy Kordik organized Donna's Dream Team, a group of almost 50 volunteers who participated in an annual three-mile walk around Centennial Park in May to raise money for the Illinois chapter of the National MS Society.
No matter how much her disease took away from her, Golden stayed faithful and stayed positive.
"One thing that I learned from her was that you never give up and you always fight through it," Mercer said. "That was a message that her life told. She never did step back; that was not her nature. And she never wanted her kids to do that or anybody else to do that."
Author: Tania Karas
******************************************************
Lincoln-Way High School
New Lenox, IL
Class of 1979
Deceased Name: Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding)
Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding), late of Mokena, IL.
Beloved wife of Ted Golden; loving mother of Ryan and Lisa; dear daughter of Marvin and Marion Homerding; proud sister of Linda Mercer and Scott Homerding; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Lying in State Tuesday, 10:00 AM until time of service 11:00 AM at the St. John United Church of Christ 11100 Second Street Mokena, IL. Interment in St. John's Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials to St. John United Church of Christ would be appreciated.
Visitation Monday, 2:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Vandenberg Funeral Home 19604 South Wolf Road Mokena, IL 60448.
********************************************************
SouthtownStar (Chicago, IL) - August 11, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden
Donna Golden, 47, of Mokena, died Aug. 7. Arrangements are by Vandenberg Funeral Homes, (708) 479-1210
*********************************************************
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - September 23, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden: Mokena mom remembered for community involvement
Whenever someone in Mokena needed a hand or volunteers for a project, Donna Golden was first in line.
The wife of Fire Chief Ted Golden got to know many residents through her numerous volunteer activities.
She organized pancake breakfasts with the fire department's ladies auxiliary. She taught Sunday school and performed in the handbell choir at St. John's United Church of Christ in Mokena. And she volunteered as a teacher's aide and room mom in Mokena public schools when her children were young.
"She was good at meeting new people and getting them involved in the community," said her sister, Linda Mercer. "She would tell them, 'You need to be involved in this,' even when they didn't think they wanted to be involved in it.
"A lot of people have that memory of her, and they appreciated it because it was what got themselves so involved in things."
Golden died Aug. 7 after a seven-year battle with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system and prevents the brain's nerve cells from communicating with the spinal cord. She was 48.
Friends and family describe Golden as constantly energetic and bubbly. She loved to sing and could learn a tune just by glancing at a sheet of music. Central to Golden's life was her faith, which she combined with her love of music and children by directing the St. John's children's choir, vacation Bible school and Christmas pageants.
"She was very musically talented," said Sheree Kinder, a former organist for St. John's when Golden was in the choir. "She had a beautiful voice. She was well-loved by the people at church because she always had a smile on her face and always had a good word for everyone."
Golden was born and raised in Mokena with her sister and brother, Scott Homerding. In 1979, she graduated from what is now Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Growing up, Golden lived right across the street from her future husband. The pair started dating in high school and married in 1984. They had two children - Ryan, 20, and Lisa, 17 - and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
They loved meeting people in Mokena and were part of a monthly dinner group that included Mayor Joe Werner.
Golden was first diagnosed with MS in early 2002 when she began having trouble with her eyesight. Her condition rapidly worsened, and within a few years, she began using a wheelchair and no longer could leave her home.
Her husband remodeled their entire house himself so his wife could get around. Caretakers helped Golden during the day, but her husband, children and parents, Marvin and Marion Homerding, took charge of her care on afternoons and weekends.
"For us, it was just part of our lives, that was normal to us," Ted Golden said. "We just took it a day at a time, that's all. We didn't look ahead.
"But she never gave up. She always thought they were going to come up with something. She always thought they were going to find a treatment to make her all better."
Despite challenges to her mobility, Golden kept up with the community and her children's lives through a steady stream of visitors. Her husband videotaped Lisa's high school poms performances and Ryan's water polo games so their mother could watch from home.
She followed the Cubs religiously and never missed watching a game on TV. She was interested in MS research and prayed that a cure for the disease would be found in her lifetime. Close friend Tammy Kordik organized Donna's Dream Team, a group of almost 50 volunteers who participated in an annual three-mile walk around Centennial Park in May to raise money for the Illinois chapter of the National MS Society.
No matter how much her disease took away from her, Golden stayed faithful and stayed positive.
"One thing that I learned from her was that you never give up and you always fight through it," Mercer said. "That was a message that her life told. She never did step back; that was not her nature. And she never wanted her kids to do that or anybody else to do that."
Author: Tania Karas
******************************************************
Lincoln-Way High School
New Lenox, IL
Class of 1979
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - August 9, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding)
Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding), late of Mokena, IL.
Beloved wife of Ted Golden; loving mother of Ryan and Lisa; dear daughter of Marvin and Marion Homerding; proud sister of Linda Mercer and Scott Homerding; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Lying in State Tuesday, 10:00 AM until time of service 11:00 AM at the St. John United Church of Christ 11100 Second Street Mokena, IL. Interment in St. John's Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials to St. John United Church of Christ would be appreciated.
Visitation Monday, 2:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Vandenberg Funeral Home 19604 South Wolf Road Mokena, IL 60448.
********************************************************
SouthtownStar (Chicago, IL) - August 11, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden
Donna Golden, 47, of Mokena, died Aug. 7. Arrangements are by Vandenberg Funeral Homes, (708) 479-1210
*********************************************************
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - September 23, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden: Mokena mom remembered for community involvement
Whenever someone in Mokena needed a hand or volunteers for a project, Donna Golden was first in line.
The wife of Fire Chief Ted Golden got to know many residents through her numerous volunteer activities.
She organized pancake breakfasts with the fire department's ladies auxiliary. She taught Sunday school and performed in the handbell choir at St. John's United Church of Christ in Mokena. And she volunteered as a teacher's aide and room mom in Mokena public schools when her children were young.
"She was good at meeting new people and getting them involved in the community," said her sister, Linda Mercer. "She would tell them, 'You need to be involved in this,' even when they didn't think they wanted to be involved in it.
"A lot of people have that memory of her, and they appreciated it because it was what got themselves so involved in things."
Golden died Aug. 7 after a seven-year battle with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system and prevents the brain's nerve cells from communicating with the spinal cord. She was 48.
Friends and family describe Golden as constantly energetic and bubbly. She loved to sing and could learn a tune just by glancing at a sheet of music. Central to Golden's life was her faith, which she combined with her love of music and children by directing the St. John's children's choir, vacation Bible school and Christmas pageants.
"She was very musically talented," said Sheree Kinder, a former organist for St. John's when Golden was in the choir. "She had a beautiful voice. She was well-loved by the people at church because she always had a smile on her face and always had a good word for everyone."
Golden was born and raised in Mokena with her sister and brother, Scott Homerding. In 1979, she graduated from what is now Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Growing up, Golden lived right across the street from her future husband. The pair started dating in high school and married in 1984. They had two children - Ryan, 20, and Lisa, 17 - and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
They loved meeting people in Mokena and were part of a monthly dinner group that included Mayor Joe Werner.
Golden was first diagnosed with MS in early 2002 when she began having trouble with her eyesight. Her condition rapidly worsened, and within a few years, she began using a wheelchair and no longer could leave her home.
Her husband remodeled their entire house himself so his wife could get around. Caretakers helped Golden during the day, but her husband, children and parents, Marvin and Marion Homerding, took charge of her care on afternoons and weekends.
"For us, it was just part of our lives, that was normal to us," Ted Golden said. "We just took it a day at a time, that's all. We didn't look ahead.
"But she never gave up. She always thought they were going to come up with something. She always thought they were going to find a treatment to make her all better."
Despite challenges to her mobility, Golden kept up with the community and her children's lives through a steady stream of visitors. Her husband videotaped Lisa's high school poms performances and Ryan's water polo games so their mother could watch from home.
She followed the Cubs religiously and never missed watching a game on TV. She was interested in MS research and prayed that a cure for the disease would be found in her lifetime. Close friend Tammy Kordik organized Donna's Dream Team, a group of almost 50 volunteers who participated in an annual three-mile walk around Centennial Park in May to raise money for the Illinois chapter of the National MS Society.
No matter how much her disease took away from her, Golden stayed faithful and stayed positive.
"One thing that I learned from her was that you never give up and you always fight through it," Mercer said. "That was a message that her life told. She never did step back; that was not her nature. And she never wanted her kids to do that or anybody else to do that."
Author: Tania Karas
******************************************************
Lincoln-Way High School
New Lenox, IL
Class of 1979
Deceased Name: Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding)
Donna J. Golden (nee Homerding), late of Mokena, IL.
Beloved wife of Ted Golden; loving mother of Ryan and Lisa; dear daughter of Marvin and Marion Homerding; proud sister of Linda Mercer and Scott Homerding; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Lying in State Tuesday, 10:00 AM until time of service 11:00 AM at the St. John United Church of Christ 11100 Second Street Mokena, IL. Interment in St. John's Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials to St. John United Church of Christ would be appreciated.
Visitation Monday, 2:00 to 9:00 PM, at the Vandenberg Funeral Home 19604 South Wolf Road Mokena, IL 60448.
********************************************************
SouthtownStar (Chicago, IL) - August 11, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden
Donna Golden, 47, of Mokena, died Aug. 7. Arrangements are by Vandenberg Funeral Homes, (708) 479-1210
*********************************************************
Herald News, The (Joliet, IL) - September 23, 2009
Deceased Name: Donna Golden: Mokena mom remembered for community involvement
Whenever someone in Mokena needed a hand or volunteers for a project, Donna Golden was first in line.
The wife of Fire Chief Ted Golden got to know many residents through her numerous volunteer activities.
She organized pancake breakfasts with the fire department's ladies auxiliary. She taught Sunday school and performed in the handbell choir at St. John's United Church of Christ in Mokena. And she volunteered as a teacher's aide and room mom in Mokena public schools when her children were young.
"She was good at meeting new people and getting them involved in the community," said her sister, Linda Mercer. "She would tell them, 'You need to be involved in this,' even when they didn't think they wanted to be involved in it.
"A lot of people have that memory of her, and they appreciated it because it was what got themselves so involved in things."
Golden died Aug. 7 after a seven-year battle with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system and prevents the brain's nerve cells from communicating with the spinal cord. She was 48.
Friends and family describe Golden as constantly energetic and bubbly. She loved to sing and could learn a tune just by glancing at a sheet of music. Central to Golden's life was her faith, which she combined with her love of music and children by directing the St. John's children's choir, vacation Bible school and Christmas pageants.
"She was very musically talented," said Sheree Kinder, a former organist for St. John's when Golden was in the choir. "She had a beautiful voice. She was well-loved by the people at church because she always had a smile on her face and always had a good word for everyone."
Golden was born and raised in Mokena with her sister and brother, Scott Homerding. In 1979, she graduated from what is now Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Growing up, Golden lived right across the street from her future husband. The pair started dating in high school and married in 1984. They had two children - Ryan, 20, and Lisa, 17 - and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
They loved meeting people in Mokena and were part of a monthly dinner group that included Mayor Joe Werner.
Golden was first diagnosed with MS in early 2002 when she began having trouble with her eyesight. Her condition rapidly worsened, and within a few years, she began using a wheelchair and no longer could leave her home.
Her husband remodeled their entire house himself so his wife could get around. Caretakers helped Golden during the day, but her husband, children and parents, Marvin and Marion Homerding, took charge of her care on afternoons and weekends.
"For us, it was just part of our lives, that was normal to us," Ted Golden said. "We just took it a day at a time, that's all. We didn't look ahead.
"But she never gave up. She always thought they were going to come up with something. She always thought they were going to find a treatment to make her all better."
Despite challenges to her mobility, Golden kept up with the community and her children's lives through a steady stream of visitors. Her husband videotaped Lisa's high school poms performances and Ryan's water polo games so their mother could watch from home.
She followed the Cubs religiously and never missed watching a game on TV. She was interested in MS research and prayed that a cure for the disease would be found in her lifetime. Close friend Tammy Kordik organized Donna's Dream Team, a group of almost 50 volunteers who participated in an annual three-mile walk around Centennial Park in May to raise money for the Illinois chapter of the National MS Society.
No matter how much her disease took away from her, Golden stayed faithful and stayed positive.
"One thing that I learned from her was that you never give up and you always fight through it," Mercer said. "That was a message that her life told. She never did step back; that was not her nature. And she never wanted her kids to do that or anybody else to do that."
Author: Tania Karas
******************************************************
Lincoln-Way High School
New Lenox, IL
Class of 1979
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