Donalda Jean 'Donnie' (MacDonald) Howard, 91

Donalda Jean “Donnie” (MacDonald) Howard, 91, of Richmond, Va., died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, Jan. 11 at Smith Mortuary, 1415 Rock Rd., Derby, Kansas with interment in Mulvane Cemetery. Share condolences at www.smithfamilymortuaries.com.

Born on Oct. 12, 1922, near Tompkins, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada, she was the daughter of the late Donald James “Jim” MacDonald and Amelia Ellen “Millie” McKay. Her family was homesteading in Saskatchewan, Canada, when she was born third of 11 siblings. When Donnie was five, the family home was destroyed by fire and they relocated to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, where Donnie’s great uncle, river boatman Duncan McGillivary, helped them buy a small farm.

She earned the nickname of “Dynamite” at Northside School. A classmate, Carl Slater, kept untying her shoe and Donnie started pounding him. Principal Tom Cobel parted them and made them work together for two weeks in the library instead of recess. Also in grade school, the 6-foot tall Gross boy kept pestering her. Being five feet tall, she suggested he tie his shoe. He bent over to look. She pasted him. She related how they were probably teasing her as a sign of affection which she did not understand then.

She met future husband Myrel Albert Howard at Bonners Ferry High School. Myrel’s family moved back to Kansas after he graduated. Following her graduation, Myrel proposed marriage. He drove with family members more than 1,600 miles in 28 hours to Idaho from Kansas to marry her. They lived together in Kansas, California, Maryland and Virginia.

Dona, as she was known at work, worked at Beech Aircraft in Wichita during WW II. She developed a career while being a mother. Her children graduated with advanced degrees thanks to her. She retired from the U. S. Department of Defense in Washington, D. C. She never disclosed her top secret work. A flag flown over the capitol building in Washington was awarded to her at retirement.

Donnie was a wonderful artist in music and fabric, creating quilts and hangings. Quilts and teddy bears were donated to young patients of Richmond hospitals. She played a violin made by her brother Allan MacDonald following her 65th birthday and entertained at MacDonald reunions with sisters Doris Howard, Annie Ritz and Ruth Hoglan in Bonners Ferry.

She is survived by her husband of 72 years and three children; Charles (Marilynn) Howard, Phyllis (Bill) Soine, and Patricia (David) Drewry; four siblings, Jessie (Paul) Schlener, Ruth Hoglan, Dan (Karlene) MacDonald and Kenneth (Karen) MacDonald; three grandchildren, Nathan (Ruth) Drewry, Tara Howard and Anna (Caleb) Trent; and six great grandchildren.

Donnie was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings, Howard Allan MacDonald, Doris Ellen Howard, Catherine Anne “Annie” Ritz, David James “Jim” MacDonald, William John “Bill” MacDonald, and Ralph Gordon MacDonald.

The ripples of her life will always wash across all who were near her.