Donna Kociemba

Donna R. Kociemba, age 93 of Melrose, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at CentraCare Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11 a.m. Monday, October 30 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Ben Kociemba officiating and Rev. Marvin Enneking concelebrating. Interment will be in St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Ward Springs.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose and from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church. Parish prayers will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Donna Rose Achman was born December 28, 1929 in Avon, Minnesota to Albert and Rose (Timmer) Achman. She was united in marriage to Alois Kociemba at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Avon, Minnesota. Donna with her husband, Al, owned and operated Al’s Red Owl grocery store for 35 years before turning ownership over to her son and daughter-in-law, Ernie and Denise. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose and the Christian Mothers. Donna loved to bake, read, play cards, play board games with the grandchildren, golf with family, and spend special time with her family on Little Birch Lake.

Survivors include her children, Bruce (Deborah) Kociemba of Melrose, Gary (Janet) Kociemba of Avon, William Kociemba of Clearwater, Ernest (Denise) Kociemba of Grey Eagle, Carrie Godinez of Santa Ana, California, Chrissie Hill of St. Cloud, John (Linda) Kociemba of Grey Eagle, and Julie Beste of Crosslake; 25 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alois Kociemba; parents, Albert and Rose Achman; grandchildren, Matthew Hill and Dustin Kociemba; and siblings, Vernon Achman, Gilbert Achman, Jerome Achman, and Renee Fryman.