Donna Mae Beck

Donna Mae Badertscher, 83, Orrville, went to be with her Lord on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012,, at Brenn-Field Nursing Center in Orrville, with her loving family by her side, following a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease.

Donna was born on April 21, 1929, in Wooster, to the late Ralph E. Sr. and Esther C. (Rauschenbach) Beck. She lived in Canton to the age of 14 and attended the Belle Stone School. She moved to Orrville in 1943 and graduated from Orrville High School, class of 1947, where she played on the girl's basketball team. During High School she worked at Perilstein's, the Grand Theater and the Telephone Company. She married Wilford D. "Willie" Badertscher on March 6, 1948, in the CMA Church in Orrville. She later worked for Orrville Municipal Utilities, Jerry Stanford's, Wilson's Greenhouse, Pookie's Ice Cream Stand, and Fred Smucker Realty.

Donna was a member of Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Orrville where she was active in the Ambassadors Sunday school class and the Woman's Alliance. She was a former member of Orrville Christian Church where she served as secretary and developed many special friendships. She was also a member of the Orrville VFW Auxiliary, the Jelly City Senior Citizens and a past president of the Orrville American Legion Auxiliary.

When her children were young she served as a Cub Scout den mother and a Brownie leader. As her children grew older, she and Willie cared for foster infants for several years. She enjoyed working in her flower beds, knitting, bowling leagues at Parkview Lanes, collecting Precious Moments and anything with violets, camping, traveling, cookouts and pets. Donna loved to whistle and could always be found playing cards and board games with family and friends.

While at Brenn-Field for the last three years, she enjoyed the activities, bus trips, walks and all the friendships she made with the staff and residents. She especially loved spending time with her family and friends, and will be remembered as a very loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend.

Surviving are four children, Chris D. (Connie) Badertscher, Dennis W. (Sandy) Badertscher, Janice M. (Robert) McGuire and Lori J. (William) Evans, all of Orrville; eight grandchildren, Aaron (Katie) Badertscher, Jason (Beth) Badertscher, Nathan (Sheri) Badertscher, Andrew (Jennifer) Badertscher, Doug (Sarah Werntz) McGuire, Scott McGuire, Jennifer (Dan Pachuta) Evans and Kyle Evans; 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, Mark (Annette) Beck of Tennessee; a sister, Esther Jeanne Mohr of Canton; three sisters-in-law, Valeda Yoder Bezanson of Florida, Mary Alice Beck of Clyde and Martha Beck of Fredericktown; and numerous other members of the extended family and friends.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Wilford, on Oct. 8, 2001, after 53 1/2 years of marriage; brothers Warren E. Beck and Ralph E. Beck Jr.; sister-in-law Eleanor Maiwurm; and three brothers-in-law, Paul Yoder, Bill Bezanson and Fritz Mohr.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, at Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Orrville, with the Rev. Ray L. Pfahler officiating. Burial will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery in Orrville.

Friends may call Thursday at Auble Funeral Home in Orrville from 6-8 p.m. or one hour prior to the service at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church on Friday. Online registry and expressions of condolence may be made at the funeral home's website, www.aublefuneralhome.com.

Memorials may be made to Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Walnut and Chestnut streets, Orrville 44667, or Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County, 2525 Back Orrville Road, Wooster 44691.