Donna M. Whitesell

Donna M. Whitesell, age 84, of Blue Rapids, passed away on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at Blue Valley Senior Living.

Donna was born in rural Waterville on March 23, 1937, to Roy and Lucille L. (Lillibridge) Nemechek. 

She graduated from Waterville High School in 1955. 

On December 22, 1956, she married Wayne L. Whitesell. He passed away in 2017.

Donna worked for the Pepsi Bottling Plant in Marysville for many years.  She then went to work at Valley Heights High School as a cook, retiring in 1996.  Donna always had a green thumb and loved to sew. She helped make Veteran’s Quilts as well as providing material for others to make them. She also enjoyed camping and bicycling, you would often see Donna and Wayne riding around town with their dog “Buddy” in the front basket. Most of all Donna loved her grandkids and great grandkids, there were very few pictures of her without at least one of them included.  As adults they enjoyed getting together for Grandma’s Easter Egg Hunts.

Survivors include her three children: Doug (Suzanne) Whitesell of Blue Rapids, Dave (Jana) Whitesell of Waterville and Betty Jo (Marvin) Bolejack of Beatrice, Nebraska, four brothers and sisters: Lyle Nemechek, Vera Walsh, Verna Williams, and George Nemechek, six grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

Preceding Donna in death were her husband Wayne, a great grandson, five siblings: Mable Brewer, Melvin Nemechek, Wilma Hogan, Don Nemechek, and Robert Nemechek.

Viewing is from noon to 8:00 pm, Sunday, with visitation between 6:00 and 8:00 pm, at Terry-Christie Funeral Home in Waterville. Funeral services are at 2:00 pm, Monday, July 12, 2021, at the United Methodist Church in Blue Rapids, with Pastor Berniece Ludlum officiating. Althea Wertz is the organist. Kim Oatney will sing “In The Garden”. Additional music will include pre-recorded selections of “The Dance” and “Falling Leaves”. Casket Bearers are: Brian Whitesell, Joe Whitesell, Quint Bolejack, Dustin Warders, Mardell Maxwell and Logan Betka. Burial is at Prospect Hill Cemetery, north of Blue Rapids.

Memorials are suggested to the Blue Rapids United Methodist Church and may be sent in care of Terry-Christie Funeral Home at PO Box 61, Waterville, Kansas 66548.