Donna Farnsworth

Visitation: Monday, June 15, 2009 from 9 to 11 am at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City.

Graveside services: will be held on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 11:00 am at Custer County Cemetery.

Donna Lucille Junge Farnsworth, age 81, of Jordan, MT passed away at her home in Jordan on June 10, 2009 surrounded by her family.

Donna was born to Will and Clarice Esther (Gilbertson) Junge on January 21, 1928 in Bennett County, at the Richardson house, near Vetal, South Dakota. She joined one sister Luella and a brother William (Billie). Her parents came from Nibraire, Nebraska and after their move, the family remained in South Dakota where her dad built a sod house. It had a wooden roof with tar paper covered by sod. It had 3 sliding windows, two smaller lift windows and was heated with wood and coal. The inside was some kind of plaster that her mother white washed. After Donna, 4 more sisters were born; Grace, Dorthy, Elsie and Esther.

Her parents then moved the family to a farm-ranch near Patricia, South Dakota. Donna spent many summers staying with her grandparents Gorge and Anna Gilbertson near Parmalee, South Dakota. Donna did a lot of outdoor work to help around the farm while she was growing up and she spent hours driving horses, running horse machinery, riding and caring for cattle. She also learned how to keep house at an early age. She was her dads helper after grade school. She milked cows with her sisters and sold cream buy groceries. Life in the 30's was hard and there was very little to eat at times. Donnas mother loved to sing and play the piano, and the children carried on this love of music. She started singing in school programs before she began school. She later learned to cord guitar while singing which she enjoyed. Donna started school at the age of 6. She loved school and did well there, attending through the 10th grade in Martin, South Dakota.

When Donna was older, she wanted to complete her degree, and after taking two years of correspondence by mail, she earned her high school diploma at the age of 57. Donna broke her leg in a compound fracture at the age of 18. It was a horse accident at the county fair in Martin, SD. She was flown to Valentine, Nebraska for treatment by Earl Guptool. She walked on crutches for seven years, wearing a cast for five years and a brace for two years on this leg, but walked on it from age 25 to 81 with no problems. Praise the Lord. Donna met Leonard Farnsworth near Kadoka S.D. during the summer of 1950. They were married June 20, 1951 and lived there a little over a year. Leonard spent 5 months in the service and was medically discharged because of physical problems. They moved to Montana in 1952 to a ranch in the Long Pine hills and lived there for 16 years. Donna loved to cook for people who stopped for visits. She baked her own bread, made jellies and canned a lot of food.Donna and Leonard had seven children. Because of the smallness of the ranch and distance from school, they moved to Ekalaka and lived there for 14 years. Donna enjoyed teaching Sunday School, Bible School and Joy Club at the Baptist Church. In 1989, they moved to Miles City for six years before moving to Jordan, MT where Leonard was employed by the BLM department. In her 70s Donna homeschooled her granddaughter Ambra for three years. One of her last wishes was for her granddaughter to be able to continue her education in college.

Donna is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Leonard of Jordan, four children; Lila Stark of Miles City, Phoebe Breidenbach of Jordan, MT, Leo Farnsworth of Roundup, MT and Letoy (Dave) Davis of Astoria, OR, seven grandchildren Sayla, Anna, Mia, and Philip Davis, Haily (Leo) Farnsworth, Russell (Ray) Farnsworth, and Ambra (Phoebe) Breidenbach. She is also survived by her brother William, sisters; Grace, Elsie, Esther and Luella and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Will and Clarice Junge, sister Dorothy Hinebach, two sons; Leonard Duneane, who died at birth in 1954, Ray Aland and at the age of 32 and 11 months in 1983, daughter, Darla Kay at the age of 11 in 1969, one grandson Marc Alan (Lila) Stark age 11 in 1992.

Visitation will be held on Monday, June 15, 2009 from 9 to 11 am at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Graveside services will be held on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 11:00 am at Custer County Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com.Should friends desire, a memorial has been set up at Garfield County Bank in Jordan, MT for Ambras continuing college Education in memory of Donna Farnsworth.