AURORA — Donna M. Rasmussen, 83, of Aurora passed away on Monday, May 25, 2020, at Memorial Community Care after a short battle with cancer.
Inurnment at the Aurora Cemetery and a memorial service will take place at a later date.
Donna was born in Norfolk on Sept. 27, 1936, to Herbert and Lydia (Winter) Raduenz.
She spent her childhood in Madison County, where she attended rural schools and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1953.
Donna was married to Gordon Rasmussen on Jan. 23, 1955, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. They had three children: Marty, Debra, and Shari. They moved to Aurora and Donna worked as a nurse’s aide at the old Aurora Hospital for 4 years. They divorced in 1964.
Donna began working as the bookkeeper for Ken’s Motel in 1965 until 1995. Donna was the executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for 35 years, which at the time of her retirement was the longest tenure in the state. She was also a KAWL News reporter from 1966 to 2001.
Donna served on the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Executives Board and, in 1974, was elected as the first woman president. She served on several committees for the State Chamber; Cornhusker Better Business Bureau; Nebraska Industrial Development Association; member of South Platte United Chamber of Commerce; secretary-treasurer of Highway 14 Association; Hamilton County AK-SAR-BEN Ambassador; Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy and member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 16 of Norfolk. In 1996, Donna received the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America Business Person of the Year award and, in 2001, she received the Nebraska Diplomats “Power-Is-In-The Partnership” award. She was a member of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Aurora.
Donna was an avid sports fan. She especially loved the Huskers, the Aurora Huskies and her Norfolk Panthers.
Those left to cherish her memory are her three children, Marty (Nadine) Rasmussen of Vero Beach, Fla., Debra Stone of Yukon, Okla., and Shari (Mark) Burrus of Omaha: five grandchildren, Ashleigh Rasmussen, Kara Kinney, Mackenzie, Reagan (Adam) Stotz and Schuyler (Sarah) Burrus; and eight great-grandchildren, Summer Washburn, Kailynn Hammock, Drake Kinney, Hadley Mae and Faith Stotz, and Ruby, Olive and Lilah Burrus. She is also survived by her sister, Arlene Mather of Norfolk; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Roger and Rita (Rasmussen) Jones of Minden, Bryce and Carol (Rasmussen) Bonness of Lincoln; several nieces and nephews, relatives and “good friends.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Bill Stone; two brothers, Vernon and Darrel; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Gladys Rasmussen; and brothers-in-law, Delmar Rasmussen and Dean Mather.
Inurnment at the Aurora Cemetery and a memorial service will take place at a later date.
Donna was born in Norfolk on Sept. 27, 1936, to Herbert and Lydia (Winter) Raduenz.
She spent her childhood in Madison County, where she attended rural schools and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1953.
Donna was married to Gordon Rasmussen on Jan. 23, 1955, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. They had three children: Marty, Debra, and Shari. They moved to Aurora and Donna worked as a nurse’s aide at the old Aurora Hospital for 4 years. They divorced in 1964.
Donna began working as the bookkeeper for Ken’s Motel in 1965 until 1995. Donna was the executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for 35 years, which at the time of her retirement was the longest tenure in the state. She was also a KAWL News reporter from 1966 to 2001.
Donna served on the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Executives Board and, in 1974, was elected as the first woman president. She served on several committees for the State Chamber; Cornhusker Better Business Bureau; Nebraska Industrial Development Association; member of South Platte United Chamber of Commerce; secretary-treasurer of Highway 14 Association; Hamilton County AK-SAR-BEN Ambassador; Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy and member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 16 of Norfolk. In 1996, Donna received the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America Business Person of the Year award and, in 2001, she received the Nebraska Diplomats “Power-Is-In-The Partnership” award. She was a member of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Aurora.
Donna was an avid sports fan. She especially loved the Huskers, the Aurora Huskies and her Norfolk Panthers.
Those left to cherish her memory are her three children, Marty (Nadine) Rasmussen of Vero Beach, Fla., Debra Stone of Yukon, Okla., and Shari (Mark) Burrus of Omaha: five grandchildren, Ashleigh Rasmussen, Kara Kinney, Mackenzie, Reagan (Adam) Stotz and Schuyler (Sarah) Burrus; and eight great-grandchildren, Summer Washburn, Kailynn Hammock, Drake Kinney, Hadley Mae and Faith Stotz, and Ruby, Olive and Lilah Burrus. She is also survived by her sister, Arlene Mather of Norfolk; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Roger and Rita (Rasmussen) Jones of Minden, Bryce and Carol (Rasmussen) Bonness of Lincoln; several nieces and nephews, relatives and “good friends.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Bill Stone; two brothers, Vernon and Darrel; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Gladys Rasmussen; and brothers-in-law, Delmar Rasmussen and Dean Mather.
AURORA — Donna M. Rasmussen, 83, of Aurora passed away on Monday, May 25, 2020, at Memorial Community Care after a short battle with cancer.
Inurnment at the Aurora Cemetery and a memorial service will take place at a later date.
Donna was born in Norfolk on Sept. 27, 1936, to Herbert and Lydia (Winter) Raduenz.
She spent her childhood in Madison County, where she attended rural schools and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1953.
Donna was married to Gordon Rasmussen on Jan. 23, 1955, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. They had three children: Marty, Debra, and Shari. They moved to Aurora and Donna worked as a nurse’s aide at the old Aurora Hospital for 4 years. They divorced in 1964.
Donna began working as the bookkeeper for Ken’s Motel in 1965 until 1995. Donna was the executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for 35 years, which at the time of her retirement was the longest tenure in the state. She was also a KAWL News reporter from 1966 to 2001.
Donna served on the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Executives Board and, in 1974, was elected as the first woman president. She served on several committees for the State Chamber; Cornhusker Better Business Bureau; Nebraska Industrial Development Association; member of South Platte United Chamber of Commerce; secretary-treasurer of Highway 14 Association; Hamilton County AK-SAR-BEN Ambassador; Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy and member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 16 of Norfolk. In 1996, Donna received the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America Business Person of the Year award and, in 2001, she received the Nebraska Diplomats “Power-Is-In-The Partnership” award. She was a member of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Aurora.
Donna was an avid sports fan. She especially loved the Huskers, the Aurora Huskies and her Norfolk Panthers.
Those left to cherish her memory are her three children, Marty (Nadine) Rasmussen of Vero Beach, Fla., Debra Stone of Yukon, Okla., and Shari (Mark) Burrus of Omaha: five grandchildren, Ashleigh Rasmussen, Kara Kinney, Mackenzie, Reagan (Adam) Stotz and Schuyler (Sarah) Burrus; and eight great-grandchildren, Summer Washburn, Kailynn Hammock, Drake Kinney, Hadley Mae and Faith Stotz, and Ruby, Olive and Lilah Burrus. She is also survived by her sister, Arlene Mather of Norfolk; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Roger and Rita (Rasmussen) Jones of Minden, Bryce and Carol (Rasmussen) Bonness of Lincoln; several nieces and nephews, relatives and “good friends.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Bill Stone; two brothers, Vernon and Darrel; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Gladys Rasmussen; and brothers-in-law, Delmar Rasmussen and Dean Mather.
Inurnment at the Aurora Cemetery and a memorial service will take place at a later date.
Donna was born in Norfolk on Sept. 27, 1936, to Herbert and Lydia (Winter) Raduenz.
She spent her childhood in Madison County, where she attended rural schools and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1953.
Donna was married to Gordon Rasmussen on Jan. 23, 1955, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. They had three children: Marty, Debra, and Shari. They moved to Aurora and Donna worked as a nurse’s aide at the old Aurora Hospital for 4 years. They divorced in 1964.
Donna began working as the bookkeeper for Ken’s Motel in 1965 until 1995. Donna was the executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce for 35 years, which at the time of her retirement was the longest tenure in the state. She was also a KAWL News reporter from 1966 to 2001.
Donna served on the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Executives Board and, in 1974, was elected as the first woman president. She served on several committees for the State Chamber; Cornhusker Better Business Bureau; Nebraska Industrial Development Association; member of South Platte United Chamber of Commerce; secretary-treasurer of Highway 14 Association; Hamilton County AK-SAR-BEN Ambassador; Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy and member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 16 of Norfolk. In 1996, Donna received the Nebraska Future Business Leaders of America Business Person of the Year award and, in 2001, she received the Nebraska Diplomats “Power-Is-In-The Partnership” award. She was a member of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Aurora.
Donna was an avid sports fan. She especially loved the Huskers, the Aurora Huskies and her Norfolk Panthers.
Those left to cherish her memory are her three children, Marty (Nadine) Rasmussen of Vero Beach, Fla., Debra Stone of Yukon, Okla., and Shari (Mark) Burrus of Omaha: five grandchildren, Ashleigh Rasmussen, Kara Kinney, Mackenzie, Reagan (Adam) Stotz and Schuyler (Sarah) Burrus; and eight great-grandchildren, Summer Washburn, Kailynn Hammock, Drake Kinney, Hadley Mae and Faith Stotz, and Ruby, Olive and Lilah Burrus. She is also survived by her sister, Arlene Mather of Norfolk; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Roger and Rita (Rasmussen) Jones of Minden, Bryce and Carol (Rasmussen) Bonness of Lincoln; several nieces and nephews, relatives and “good friends.”
She was preceded in death by her parents; son-in-law, Bill Stone; two brothers, Vernon and Darrel; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Gladys Rasmussen; and brothers-in-law, Delmar Rasmussen and Dean Mather.
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