Donna L. Trenkle of Ames died at home surrounded by family on January 24, 2015, after a courageous seven and a half year battle with brain cancer. A gathering of family and friends will be 4:00- 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way in Ames. A memorial service will be held 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, at Ames United Church of Christ, 217 Sixth Street. Burial will be at Ames Municipal Cemetery.
Donna was born July 26, 1937 to Urban E. and Gertrude Jane (Heikes) Wendorff in Broken Bow, NE. She began her education in Tecumseh, graduated from Northeast High School in Lincoln, and attended the University of Nebraska. She married her high school sweetheart, Allen H. Trenkle, on August 11, 1956 in Lincoln. After living in Ames, IA and Orinda, CA, they made their permanent home and raised their three daughters in Ames. In addition to being a wife and mother, she worked at Iowa Crop Improvement Association, the cafeterias at NADC and Iowa DOT, and in retail at Yarn Tree, Keepsakes, and Wall to Wall graphics in Ames.
Donna devoted her life to her family, and received joy and satisfaction from volunteer work at her church and in Ames schools. Donna also loved her close friends, her kitties, decorating her home, cooking, sewing and crafting for her children and grandchildren, growing flowers, feeding wildlife and birds, and the chimes announcing a birth at Mary Greeley Hospital. Allen and Donna enjoyed many wonderful years traveling around the country in their RV.
When cancer became a part of her life she drew strength and hope from her family, her Christian faith, and the expertise of the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University and the Bliss Cancer Center at McFarland Clinic. She always kept her beautiful smile and continued to bless family and friends with countless acts of love and kindness.
Donna is survived by her husband Allen; daughters Ann (Steve) Stark of Greene, IA, Laura (Stefan) Beskow of Morrisville, NC and Janet (Kevin) Binder of Ankeny, IA; grandchildren Amy (Luke) Johnson, Emily (William) Schuldt, Sarah Binder, and Jason Binder; two great grandchildren Landon and Leo; brother Bruce (Judith) Wendorff; sister Joann (Allen) Wellman and nine nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Ames United Church of Christ, Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University, or Mary Greeley Foundation Homeward Hospice.
Online condolences may be directed to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com