Donna Marie Holterman, age 86, of Freeburg, was born November 26, 1937, in Brinktown, MO, daughter of Norbert Ferdinand and Elizabeth "Elsie" Marie (Dickneite) Lehmen, and passed from this life on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Capital Region Medical Center, Jefferson City, MO, surrounded by her loving family.

She attended grade school at Holy Family Catholic School in Freeburg, MO. She was united in marriage on November 24, 1956, at Holy Family in Freeburg, to Joseph Francis Holterman Jr., who preceded her in death on September 26, 2011.

She was a faithful member of the Holy Family Catholic Church, Freeburg, and participated in various groups within the church. These groups included the Holy Family Sewing Circle and the Holy Family Candle-Burners Prayer Group. She prayed weekly rosaries via phone with another prayer group. Yearly in the fall, Donna would join relatives in creating flower baskets and arrangements for departed family at local cemeteries. When she couldn't get to church, she would praise the Lord by finding mass on the television. She even attended the most recent 7 AM Easter Sunday Mass. Donna was also a member of the American Legion Women's Auxiliary where she had previously served as president.

Donna was a devoted mother, grandmother, homemaker, and friend. She found joy in cooking for others and for events such as weddings, funerals, the Holy Family School, and Mr. Jack's Restaurant. More recently, her Saturday morning cooking entailed making the top-secret recipe pancakes for her grandchildren Cole and Joella. She perfected her famous slaw dressing and chili recipes, both of which were always requested at family events.

Donna enjoyed playing cards and dominoes and was known to make her own rules each round claiming, "That's just how it is," so she'd win. She especially liked casino trips and lottery scratcher tickets, but only the winning ones. She loved road trips and her most favorite were the travels to South Dakota to see her brother, Marvin. Trips she treasured and spoke about often.

As a young lady, Donna was a skilled sewer, and created clothes for herself and others. She continued to love quilting and embroidering throughout her life and created special pillows and blankets for grandchildren. Each year she donated a quilt to the Freeburg Picnic and was thrilled to see how much money the quilt auction would raise for the parish.

Dancing, gardening, raising flowers, and doing word searches were some of her favorite hobbies. Donna's doctors' appointments often ended with a stop at one of her favorites - McAlister's, Dragon Kitchen, or McDonald's, and with a chocolate ice cream shake to top it off.

She loved spending time with her family, and was especially fond and proud of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, keeping every newspaper clipping showing them.

Those left to mourn the passing of Donna include: her three sons, Alex Holterman and wife Mary (Mengwasser), Kevin Holterman and wife Christie (Nevins), and Glen Holterman and wife Danielle (Dudenhoeffer), all of Freeburg; 11 grandchildren, Derin M. Holterman, Ethan and Bethany Holterman, Jenna Holterman and Jacob Kueffer, Corey and Kayla Nevins, Greg Holterman and Amber Stone, Brandon and Brooke Holterman, Maria Holterman and Trey Blackwell, Jayce Tobin, Eli Tobin, Joella Holterman, and Cole Holterman; 13 great-grandchildren, Adrienne Holterman, Derin F. Holterman, Megan Nevins, Maleki Nevins, Shyla Nevins, Jaylen Nevins, Silas Nevins, Brody Nevins, Autumn Holterman, Auggie Holterman, Aubrey Stone, Mason Holterman, and Lydia Holterman; brother, Leon Lehmen and wife Doris; sister, Norma Struemph and friend Lenny; sister-in-law, Sharon Lehmen; along with numerous nieces, nephews, and friends, especially her dear ones Darlene Falter, Maxine Bax, Ida Dickneite, and Mildred Dudenhoeffer.

In addition to her husband, Joseph, she was preceded in death by her father, Norbert on October 29, 2002; her mother, Elizabeth "Elsie" on March 21, 1998; grandson, Derin M. Holterman on March 2, 2014; two brothers, Marvin Lehmen on July 7, 2009 and Ferdy Lehmen on April 3, 2018; sister, Marilyn Lehmen on November 19, 2014; mother-in-law, Louise Holterman on August 25, 1937; father-in-law, Joseph F. Holterman Sr. on May 10, 1987; step-mother-in-law, Catherine "Katie" Holterman on October 24, 2001; five brothers-in-law, Ralph Luebbert on August 7, 1990, Charles Leuthen on May 2, 2001, Cletus Holterman on December 17, 2004, Peter Klauber on October 2, 2009, and Norbert Struemph on October 16, 1979; and two sisters-in-law, Viola Holterman Luebbert on January 25, 2013 and Mary Jane Reichel Holterman on August 6, 2016.

Visitation for Donna Holterman will be held Sunday, April 7, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m., and Monday, April 8, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., with her Mass of Christian Burial following at 11:00 a.m., all in the Holy Family Catholic Church, 104 Oliver Street, Freeburg, MO 65035, with Father William Debo as celebrant, under the direction of Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home, Vienna.

Pallbearers for Donna Holterman will be Derin M. Holterman, Ethan Holterman, Jenna Holterman, Jacob Kueffer, Greg Holterman, Brandon Holterman, Maria Holterman, Jayce Tobin, and Eli Tobin. Honorary Pallbearers will be Bethany Holterman, Brooke Holterman, Amber Stone, and Trey Blackwell.

Because of Donna's love of the Holy Family Parish, memorial contributions in memory of Mrs. Donna Holterman are suggested to the Holy Family School Expansion with envelopes at church day of service or in care of Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home, P.O. Box 250, Vienna, MO 65582.

Online condolences may be shared with the family of Mrs. Donna Holterman at www.birminghammartinfuneralhomes.com