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Donna Bushee

April 1, 1926 - July 15, 2014
Plainwell, MI

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Visitation

Friday, July 18, 2014
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Life Story Funeral Homes - Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren
Plainwell Location
120 South Woodhams Street
Plainwell, MI 49080
(269) 685-5881
Driving Directions

Service

Friday, July 18, 2014
12:00 PM EDT
Life Story Funeral Homes - Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren
Plainwell Location
120 South Woodhams Street
Plainwell, MI 49080
(269) 685-5881
Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Alzheimer's Association - Michigan Great Lakes Chapter
200 Turwill Ln Suite 6
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
(269) 342-1482
Driving Directions
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

River Rose
(269) 692-3951

Plainwell Flowers
117 S. Main
Plainwell, MI 49080
(269) 685-8055
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Print

When reflecting on the life of Donna Bushee, words such as hardworking, fun-loving, and generous come to mind, however, the thread that is most commonly woven throughout her tapestry in time features her endless spirit of compassion. Her days were filled with countless things and experiences that enriched her journey, but it was sharing these experiences with the ones she loved that made them truly priceless. Donna was blessed to spend nearly 70 years with the love of her life with whom she witnessed her family tree blossom to include the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were her greatest source of pride and joy. Donna will be dearly missed while her timeless legacy that is deeply rooted in unconditional love is carried on by those who follow in her footsteps.

It was great to be an American during the decade that is commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Innovation was taking us places we had never been and prosperity dominated the majority of the decade. Radios, affordable cars, and both the refrigerator and washing machine made our lives easier while jazz music and the Charleston were among the latest trends. Amidst this exciting time was the year 1926 that was filled with unspeakable joy for a young couple from Parchment, Michigan, as they were pleased to announce the birth of their new baby girl on April 1st in nearby Kalamazoo. Donna was the middle of three girls born to her parents, Roy and Mildred (Finch) Brundage, and she was raised in the family home alongside her older sister, Joy, and her younger sister, Inez.

For the most part Donna experienced an upbringing that was a reflection of her generation. Her father supported the family through his work at the paper mill in Parchment while her mother was a homemaker. Donna’s earliest years were spent in Parchment, but as a teen she and her family moved to Plainwell. As a student she attended local schools, and among her sisters she was the only one who learned to drive. Donna graduated from Plainwell High School in 1944.

Ready to embark on new and exciting things with a bright future in sight, Donna became a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Allegan County. However, it was her personal life that really became exciting during this time as she had met the man of her dreams. He was a young serviceman named Bill Bushee, and they met at a local dance shortly after he had gotten out of the service in 1944. A whirlwind romance ensued, and the couple soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together the sweethearts were married at her childhood home in 1945. After only one year of teaching Donna left the workforce to focus on her new life with her husband.

The newlyweds initially settled in Parchment, but they later returned to Plainwell where they moved into a home that Bill built for them. Together they welcomed four children into their hearts and home: Roger, Deb, Shelley, and Rhonda. Donna was an amazing cook and baker, which her family greatly appreciated, and among her specialties were her apple dumplings, homemade cookies, shepherd’s pie, and homemade noodles. She was a talented homemaker, too, who was very efficient in the home as she had a certain day for each chore such as the laundry, ironing, and cleaning.

Life in the Bushee family was a bustle of activity. They enjoyed camping together and at times they attended church. As her children grew older and established families of their own, holidays and family gatherings were always at Donna’s house. She loved being a grandmother and looked forward to being with her grandchildren as often as she could. Donna didn’t usually prefer just to sit at home and look after them, she loved to head out on some kind of an adventure with her children. With her unwavering spirit of generosity and unconditional love, Donna also took in a couple of children in need of some tender loving care and helped raise them for a time. In addition, there were always some kind of pets around as they had various cats, dogs, horses, chickens, and snakes among other animals over the years.

In addition to caring for her family, Donna was very active in other areas as well. For a time she worked in the kitchen at the sanitarium in Plainwell, and she later cleaned offices in town. In the early seventies Donna was an active part of establishing the School Employees Credit Union, and she worked there until retiring in 1988. During their retirement years she and Bill spent the winter season down at their trailer in Florida, and they also had a trailer at Muskrat Lake and later at Pleasant Lake to enjoy during the summer. Donna liked shopping for bargains at garage sales and was always on the lookout for tea cups and dolls to add to her collections. She was a great bridge player and when it came to music it was whatever had a good beat to dance to including rock ‘n roll during her younger years and later on it was primarily country music. As someone who was introspective, Donna kept daily journals for several years.

Described as giving, polite, and kind, Donna Bushee was an extraordinary blessing to those around her. She was selfless and a fantastic hostess who always waited hand and foot on any guest in her home. Donna loved visiting and kept the coffee pot on so she could talk and enjoy a cup of coffee at the table with whoever stopped by. She was a gracious and loving woman who will never be forgotten.

Donna Bushee, of Plainwell, passed away on July 15, 2014, at Stanford Lodge. Visit with her family and friends and view her life story film on Friday, July 18 from 11:00-12:00 at the Life Story Funeral Home, Plainwell; 120 Woodhams St. (269 685-5881). A Memorial Service will follow at 12:00 p.m. at the same location. Donna’s family includes her children: Roger (Margaret) Bushee, Deb (Tom) Somers, Shelley Bushee, Rhonda (Don) Kiewiet; her sister Inez (Ray) Crawford; many grandchildren, great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Bill and her sister, Joy. She loved spending time with her family, playing cards, caring for her pets and spending time with her friends. Please visit Donna’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo and sign her memory book online before coming to the funeral home. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

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