Donna Symens, 83

Donna Symens, 83, of Sheffield, IA was born August 22, 1937. She was a twin daughter of Jesse and Esther (Pals) Suntken. She received her education in Pleasant Township country school and graduated in 1955 from Belmond High School. After high school, she worked at P&G Grocery in Belmond.

In 1959, she married Ron Symens from Hansell. They farmed together in the Alexander and Meservey area. In 1980, they bought the Hovey family farm near Sheffield. Ron and Donna retired in 2014 and moved into Sheffield.

In her lifetime, Donna was employed by Schaffer Pullet Company in Latimer and at United Bank and Trust in Sheffield. Through the years she was an active member of the Meservey Reformed Church where she taught Sunday School, bible school, sang in the choir and was the Secretary of the Reformed Church Women Ministries. She was an active volunteer at the Share Shoppe, she helped tend the flower garden at the Sheffield Care Center and library. She was a member of the Sheffield 500 Marathon Group.

Her joys in life included spending time with her family, gardening, canning and going on bus trips with her twin sister, Madonna. She cherished her neighbors, friends and pizza group.

Left to cherish her memory are her children Brian (Sue) Symens of Hampton, Linda Dippel of Belmond and Mark (Amy) Symens of Sheffield; 8 grandchildren: Elizabeth (Liz) Symens, Ben (Morgan) Symens, Nathan Dippel, Michael (Megan) Symens, Zach Symens, Spencer (Demi) Halloran, Reese Halloran and Mitchell Halloran, great-grandchildren Ren and Sloan Borcherding, sisters Madonna Neuberger, Janet (Derald) Pals, brother Jim (Dianna) Suntken, brother-in-law Muriel (Rosilyn) Symens, sister-in-law Rhoda (Ralph) Bender; sister-in-law Gene (Don) Royster and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents, husband Ron, daughter-in-law Lisa (Levitt) Symens, three brothers-in-law and one sister-in-law.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at the First Reformed Church in Meservey with burial in the Hillside Cemetery in Sheffield. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Monday at the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton.