Dona Mae Venn

Dona Mae Venn was a survivor of breast cancer for over 26 years. On August 9, 2016, at age 78, she passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Her husband, of 59 years, Robert D. Venn (“Bob”), and the latest addition to the family, a rescue dog named CC were by her side. The vigil/rosary will be held in St Joseph’s Catholic Church on Thursday, August 18th, at 7:00pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted, in St Joseph’s, on Friday, August 19th, at 11:00am. Father Dennis C. Day will be officiating. Dona Mae was born December 23, 1937 in Glendive, Montana as the first born child to Donald and Minnie Hubbard. Donald and Minnie had five other children, Donald, Timothy, Gary, Deborah and Sandra. Donald, Minnie, Timothy, Gary, and Deborah have preceded Dona Mae in death. Dona Mae went to catholic and public schools in Glendive and graduated from Dawson County Senior High in 1956 where she met her future husband Bob. On May 4, 1957, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glendive, Dona Mae and Bob exchanged vows. Dona Mae and Bob had five children, Randall, Deborah, Ronald, Rodney and Donette. They raised their family in Glendive, Butte, and Missoula, Montana from 1957 until 1989. After living in Missoula, Dona Mae and Bob also lived in Nashville, Tennessee, Maple Valley, Washington, and recently Sandpoint, Idaho. Dona Mae and Bob were active, tireless, and proud supporters of all their family’s activities, sporting events, education, and religious lives. Over the years Dona Mae has been involved in scouting, PTA, and has attended countless sporting events. Not only did she attend and robustly cheer, Dona Mae was also a scorekeeper for many years in baseball while Bob coached. In addition to being a homemaker, Dona Mae and Bob owned and operated the All American Burger Bar in Missoula. Later Dona Mae was a receptionist for the Rocky Mountain Eye Clinic of Missoula, the Endocrinologist Diabetes Clinic and the Lipscomb Orthopedic Clinic of Nashville. In all of the communities she lived in Dona Mae was an active member in her Catholic Church as well as church groups and many bible studies. Dona Mae has always kept herself busy with her ambitious knitting, quilting, and sewing projects. She has shared many of her homemade keepsakes with her children, grandchildren, and friends. Dona Mae’s talents spilled over into the kitchen as well. She loved canning, cooking, and baking a wide variety of foods and desserts. The smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven often came from her kitchen. Dona Mae had several travel highlights during her lifetime. She enjoyed her 25th wedding anniversary with Bob in Maui, Hawaii, her 50th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas and her trip with family to the Vatican City in Rome, Italy. She continued to love sporting events after her children were grown. Her favorite was college football. Many Saturdays she cheered for the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Montana Grizzlies. Memorials may be made to a cancer or heart fund or Hospice of Sandpoint. This loving servant of God will be missed by many people… but many people can also say they are better for having known her.