Donelda Vowles

Donelda E. Vowles, age 63 of Payson, Arizona, died at her home on Saturday, March 13, 2004, following a short but valiant fight against breast cancer.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 at First Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Kevin Born will officiate with interment following in Lakeview Cemetery near Grey Eagle.

Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Arrangements are being made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Sauk Centre.

Donelda Vowles was born on January 18, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Mortimer and Hazel (Peterson) Lent. She was employed as a registered nurse at the Albany Area Hospital for many years and later moved to Mesa, Arizona, where she was employed at Mesa Lutheran Hospital. She retired in Payson, Arizona. She spent summers at her home on Big Birch Lake, near Grey Eagle, and worked in home health care and at the St. Cloud Hospital. She was a member of First Lutheran Church and Big Birch Lake Association.

Donelda's first love was her grandchildren and then her two Pomeranian dogs, Buddy and Charlee. She enjoyed vegetable gardening and even worked part-time one summer for a nursery in Sauk Centre.

Survivors include two children, Ann Marie Vowles of Payson, Arizona and William "Rocky" (Dawn) Vowles of Albany; step-daughter, Rona Lee (Shane) Davis of Sonoma, California; seven grandchildren, Aaron, Adam, Jack, Jasie, Zach, Josh and Lindsey; sisters and brothers, Maurita (John) Strait of Payson, Arizona, Barbara (Tom) Bebb, Donavon (Kit) Lent and Jon (Diane) Lent, all of Mesa, Arizona; former husband, William Vowles of Waite Park.

Serving as casket bearers, at Donelda's request, will be Leon and Linus Ritter, Steve Thill, Carl Nelson, Jeff Blenker and Dan Ceminski.