Clear, 35° F
Donna Mae Muecke, 87, entered into the presence of her heavenly father on Jan. 14, 2020, at Green House Living for Sheridan Elder Care Center in Sheridan, Wyoming.
She was born Dec. 5, 1932, in Jacksonville, Iowa, as the second of three children to Elmer and Maggie (Schelor) Walters. The family moved to Wyoming in 1934 to homestead on the Willwood Project south of Powell.
Donna completed all her schooling in Powell and fell in love with a neighbor boy, the love of her life, Gerhard Muecke. They were married Oct. 6, 1950, and were married for 69 years at the time of her passing.
For Donna, being a loving wife and mother was the passion of her life. She and Gerhard farmed on the Willwood until 1959 and during that time they were blessed with three children, John, Ron and Cheryl.
Donna gave loving support to her family as they moved to Billings, Montana, while Gerhard returned to school to pursue a degree in education. She was so very proud of Gerhard for his college degree and spoke often of this time in their lives. While continuing life in Helena, Montana, they were blessed with another son, Daniel.
They moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where Gerhard obtained a master’s degree and taught school. During that time, their daughter, Bobbi, became a part of the family. Donna’s children remember with fondness coming home from school each day and having a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies waiting for them on the table, lovingly made by their mother.
Another move back to Powell gave Donna an opportunity to love even more children at an elementary school as a teacher’s aide, while her husband worked a family business with two of their sons.
The final stop of her working years found them in Brownsville, Texas, where Donna loved and taught kindergarten children, while her husband finished his teaching career as a middle school teacher.
Upon retirement, Donna and Gerhard moved back to Powell for many years, where they found great enjoyment as grandparents and traveling to see family in their RV. Any day that Donna could be with family was a good day. A final move brought them to Sheridan, which brought many more years of special family time. Through all these many years, Donna was a faithful, loving wife and mother, loving God and her family unceasingly.
Donna attended Grace Baptist Church in Sheridan. She enjoyed being involved in her children’s and grandchildren’s lives, sewing, cross stitching, babies, RV travel and everything about Christmas.
Preceding Donna in death were her parents, Elmer and Maggie Walters; her sister Verlee Borcher; and grandchild Bethany Mullock.
Donna is survived by her loving husband Gerhard of Sheridan; her five children John (Michele) Muecke of Sheridan; Ron (Nancy) Muecke of Ankeny, Iowa; Cheryl Reesy of Bowling Green, Kentucky; Bobbi (Brent) Mullock of Torrington, Wyoming; and Daniel (Freddie) Muecke of Vista, California; 10 grandchildren: Liesa (Ole) Seifert, Sarah (Jason) Otto, Angela (Tim) Brugger, Jonathan (Tara) Muecke, David (Megan) Muecke, Justin (Ashley) Reesy, Jessica Reesy, Andrea (Matt) Matlock, Michelle (Nicholas) Stoneking and Amanda (JL) Garman; 23 great grandchildren: Quin, Anya, and Kian Seifert, Isaac, Garrett, and Jeffrey Otto, Madison, Grace, and Owen Brugger, Penn, Max, and Ivy Muecke, Simon and Anna Muecke, Rylee, Avery, and Charli Reesy, Jayde Cobourn, Emmelin and Bennett Matlock, Cooper and Brea Ann Stoneking, and Jayla Garman; her brother Gale (Bobbie) Walters of Centralia, Washington; and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held to honor Donna on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, 2 p.m., at Grace Baptist Church in Sheridan.
The family would like to thank Green House Living for Sheridan for its exceptional care of Donna in her final days. Kane Funeral Home in Sheridan has been entrusted with arrangements. Memorials in Donna’s honor may be directed to Green House Living for Sheridan, 2311 Shirley Cove, Sheridan, WY 82801.
