Donna Yvonne Conrad

Passed away September 27, 2018 at Rose Arbor Hospice. Yvonne was born May 18, 1928 in Kalamazoo the daughter of Auburn and Marguerite (Schermerhorn) Walker. She was employed as an administrative assistant at St. Ambrose Catholic Church and was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church where she was active in the St. Mary's Sodality. Yvonne and Bob were truly members of the GREATEST GENERATION, and devoted to their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren through sixty-nine years of marriage. They loved their retirement and spent several winters on the road in their motorhome. An expert navigator, Yvonne enjoyed the passenger seat where she took notes of landmarks that interested her, as she highlighted their route on an open map. Eventually they settled on winters in Florida where they made lasting friendships with other retirees on the Manatee River. Yvonne's artistic talents included flower arrangement, quilt making, and especially painting. She was an avid gardener and rock hound. A great cook, she excelled at baking, a talent passed down to her in a fat recipe box from her mother and sister Arlene. A true lover of nature, she began most days counting the ducks, geese, and swans after opening the curtains at the Portage Lake house. She would check wind direction and clouds, and anticipate the day's weather without a forecast. Yvonne had a great sense of humor and loved a good joke. In a favorite one liner, after an evening with friends she'd wink at Bob and say, "we should go to bed, so these people can go home." On September 17, 1949 in Kalamazoo Yvonne was united in marriage to Robert H. Conrad who survives. Also surviving are four children, Thomas (Mindy) Conrad of Salmon, ID, Susan (Roger) Stowe of Louisville, KY, Christine (Daniel) Thompson of Plainwell, Janette (Jim) Hunt of Delton; son-in-law, Robert Hahn of Allegan; 10 grandchildren, Jason, Erin, Michelle, Iris, Colin, Jared, Rachel, Anna, Elyse, and Lewis; five great-grandchildren, Hailey, Emma, Mason, Cooper and Owen; several nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by a daughter Rebecca Hahn in 2015 and two brothers, Robert and Richard Walker and a sister, Arlene Hughes. Friends will be received 5-7 pm Wednesday October 3, 2018 at Parchment Redmond Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 am Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Entombment will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Loaves and Fishes or the Kalamazoo Humane Society.