Donna Vanderput "graduated" to heaven to be with her Savior, Jesus, on May 7, 2026, in the Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis, Kansas, where she received excellent care for the last two weeks of her life.

Here are some of her memories that she asked to be included in her obituary from a conversation with her on her 95th birthday – October 23, 2020.

Donna was born in a farmhouse four miles west of Bird City, Kansas, where she continued to live until just before her homegoing. She was the third of five daughters born to Orris and Gertrude (Gertie) Harris.

Donna said she had a delightful childhood!

Growing up on the farm, she and her family lived in the same house for eleven years with the family of John and Goldie Harris and their children. Eventually the farm came to be known as the "Harris Brothers Farm." At one time, three of the Harris brothers lived on the farm with the addition of two more houses.

She spoke of times when she and three of her sisters would sleep together in the same bed by sleeping sideways together. She enjoyed milking cows with two of her sisters and singing three-part harmony during their milking chores.

As she grew up, Donna was a tomboy and loved being with her dad, Orris, and following him around on the farm. When she was quite young, she would be out with her dad when he was feeding the pigs. Even when it was so cold and her nose was running, she would not go into the house because she really wanted to stay out with her dad. She took pleasure in riding on the old Case tractor that her dad drove where she would sit on the toolbox in front of the steering wheel. She also tremendously enjoyed riding on the last load of wheat during each wheat harvest and gathering wheat stems to use as straws for drinking cold chocolate milk.

Donna's mother, Gertie, was a wonderful seamstress, and she made a dress for Donna when she was around two years old. Someone asked Donna who made her dress and out of affection for her father, she mistakenly exclaimed, "Daddy did!"

One thing that Donna really appreciated as she grew up was that her parents never showed partiality between her and her four sisters.  But she related that an even greater thing than this was what wonderful Christians her parents were. They were moral, godly examples for Donna and her sisters all their lives.

Donna accepted Jesus as her Savior at a young age, perhaps at the age of eight. An evangelist came to the Methodist Church in Bird City and gave an altar call. She went forward and recounted that she could not remember anything else about that moment but that she knew that a change had taken place in her heart.

Donna attended a one room rural schoolhouse north of their farm for the first three years of her schooling and then began attending school in Bird City until her high school graduation in 1943 during World War II. Upon graduation, she attended business school in Kansas City, Missouri and worked in an office for the interstate commerce commission as a secretary.

Donna was married twice. Her first marriage was in Kansas City where she gave birth to a daughter, Amber. Her second marriage took place in Panama City, Florida, and a second child was born, her son, Mark.

In 1955, Donna moved back to the family farm in Northwest Kansas where she and her two children lived with her mother, Gertie, except for a time of going to cosmetology school in Denver, Colorado.

She opened her own beauty salon, "Donna's for Beauty," in McDonald, Kansas in 1958. After eight years there, she moved her business to Bird City where she continued to be a hairdresser until retiring at the age of 78. With an abundance of patrons, she always maintained that she had "the best clientele a business owner could hope for!"

Donna had a passionate love for Jesus and felt a strong calling from Him – especially in her later years – to be a "prayer warrior" and intercede for the needs of her family and many, many others. Whenever people would call her on the phone with prayer requests, she would pray with them and then say, "We'll just keep "prayin' and praisin'!" She felt it was so important to always pray and praise the Lord – to end every prayer with thanksgiving (see Philippians 4:6-7 in the Bible).

Donna had a consuming desire to see "souls" saved from the penalty of their sins – to see people become born again (see John 3:3 in the Bible) and truly know Jesus as their Savior. It seemed like everywhere we went with her throughout the years, she would talk to people about Jesus! Sometimes we would be walking together and look at each other and say, "Where's Mom?" But then we would look back and see that she was talking to someone about Jesus and his death on the cross for them – about how they could go to heaven if they put their faith in Him instead of depending upon their own good works (see Ephesians 2:8-9 in the Bible).

Donna told us as we worked on this obituary with her that she wants everyone who reads it to know that God loves YOU and wants YOU to be in heaven with Him and also with her (see John 3:16 in the Bible)!

In the last days of her life in the Cheyenne County Hospital, Donna loved to hear worship songs such as, "Goodness of God," "10,000 Reasons," "As the Deer," "O Lord, You're Beautiful," and "I Can Only Imagine." If she had strength, she would quietly sing along. If she didn't, she would often mouth the words or simply listen, close her eyes, smile, and lift her hands up to heaven in adoration of her Lord. She had such peace. Such contentment. To see her like that was an indescribable experience. It was sweet. It was holy. She was so in love with Jesus – so ready to meet him and be with him for eternity. She is now more alive than ever with her Savior in heaven!

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, her four sisters and their husbands, and other beloved relatives. She is survived by her daughter, Amber (Paul), and her son Mark (Mary Jane), 6 grandchildren and their spouses, 20 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, and nephews and nieces and their spouses and children.

She wanted to give many – "oodles and gobs," as she liked to say – thanks to everyone who blessed her in her later years, especially: Adam Konrade, her grandson who cared for her on the farm for the last 5 years; Pastor Terry and Tifany Glasco, her pastoral couple for 24 years; her church family at Living Water Fellowship; Clayton and Lori Janicke and sons, her super helpful neighbors; Clara Pankonin and Dave Robbins, her drivers to church after she quit driving in her mid-90's; and countless other relatives and friends who provided help and love.

A joy filled "Celebration of Life" for Donna's 100 years will be held on Saturday, May 30, 10:30 am, at Living Water Fellowship in Bird City, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Living Water Fellowship, Donna's beloved church home.