Donna Mae Serreyn Hess

The funeral service for Donna Hess, 79, of Marshall, will be at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2020, at First Lutheran Church in Marshall. A livestream of the service will be available at www.horvathfuneralservice.com. The video may be accessed by clicking the "Watch Webcast" link under the Photos and Videos tab. Visitation will be held at Rehkamp Horvath Funeral Home in Marshall from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Mask and social distancing requirements will be observed at all services. A private family interment will take place at the Marshall Cemetery at a later date. Donna Mae (Serreyn) Hess was born on June 3, 1941, in Tyler, to Oscar and Evelyn (Bradtke) Serreyn. Donna grew up on the family farm near Arco until first grade, when her family moved to Marshall. She graduated from Marshall High School in 1959. As the oldest of eleven children, Donna helped raise her younger siblings. After high school Donna worked as a waitress at E&B Café, and later she worked at Kelco, where she met the man who would become her husband. Donna was united in marriage to Merle Hess on January 27, 1962, at First Lutheran Church in Marshall. The couple made their home and raised their three children in Marshall. Donna stayed at home raising her children, as well as many others that went through her in-home daycare. Family was very important to Donna, and she was proud to be a caregiver for both her and Merle’s parents in their later years. In her free time, Donna enjoyed reading, coloring, and watching horror movies. Donna kept her mind young with brain teasers, including Sudoku and crossword puzzles. She enjoyed being outdoors birdwatching (from a distance), golfing, or spending time with family at the lake near Lac qui Parle. Donna loved to keep her home and yard bright with vibrant flowers. Butterflies were her favorite, and she collected anything she could find to display their beautiful colors around the house. She also collected angels and made many charitable contributions to various organizations. Donna was a meticulous note-taker, always keeping her family organized. She wrote down and remembered all of her loved ones’ important dates. Donna was a classy lady, and she could never be found without her hair, make-up, and fingernails done perfectly. Donna died on Saturday, October 17, 2020, at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. She is survived by her husband Merle of Marshall; children Corrine (Harold) Hancock of Marshall, Stephanie (Keith) Johnson of Ponce Inlet, FL, and Gregory (Lynne) Hess of St. Paul; grandchildren Ellen, Holly, Whitney, Brody, Tiffany, Mercedes, and Marcus; fur-grandbabies Harley, Baylor, Ninja, Pixie, and Bubba; 13 great-grandchildren; siblings Shirley, Linda, Cyril, Bonnie, Debbie, Jeff, Cindy, and Brian; and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Howard and Bob.