White Funeral Home
1315 Main Street
Jesup, Iowa 50648

DUNKERTON- With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Donna Jo Nelson, 74 years old and formerly of Dunkerton, IA, who left this world to find her peace above on Friday, July 24th, 2026, at the Madrid Home, Madrid, IA, where she had lived the past 10 years.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. – Thursday, July 30, 2026, at St. Francis Catholic Church-Barclay, rural Dunkerton, IA, with Fr. Douglas J. Loecke as Celebrant. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, where there will be a parish rosary at 4:00 p.m., Wednesday. Visitation will also be held an hour before services Thursday at the church. Memorials may be directed to St. Francis Catholic Church- Barclay. Online condolences may be posted at www.White-MtHope.com

Donna was born October 18, 1951, in Black Hawk County, IA, the daughter of Leonard Nick Sadler and Mae Rosella (Fettkether) Sadler. She graduated from Dunkerton High School and then attended Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, IA. Donna spent her career working as a radiology scheduler at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo and when she wasn’t there, she could usually be found visiting the Amish, going to flea markets or Wal-Mart with her brother Raymond, or sipping on a Diet Mountain Dew and looking through a flower magazine.

Donna was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church - Barclay.

Donna was the youngest of her large family. She embraced being the baby of the bunch, and it was a role that shaped her warm heart, kind spirit, love of growing things, and deep appreciation for her family. Throughout her life, Donna found beauty in the simplest of things; a blooming flower, a fancy bowl or plate, the birds in the bushes, or even the random unusually shaped squash from her garden. She found joy in tending her garden and preserving what she grew through canning, and she was always calling to share random tidbits of information with those she loved.

Donna was blessed with two children, Jason and Julie, who she loved dearly and raised to also appreciate the small things in life. In later life, Donna’s greatest joys were her grandchildren or “little monkeys”, also known as Siobhan, Brayden, Andrew, Tyler, and Jack. She didn’t hesitate taking Siobhan and Brayden on little adventures and getting dirty on the “farm” or getting on the floor and building Lego towers or playing with plastic dinosaurs and roaring louder than Andrew, Tyler, and Jack. One of her most treasured activities was creating a mess in the kitchen making Christmas goodies.

In 2016, Donna suffered a massive stroke which limited her independence, but through her fighting spirit, she persevered so she could continue to spend time with her family and watch her grandchildren grow. From that time, Donna lived at the Madrid Home in Madrid, IA where she was known for her spunky personality and knack for remembering people and the lives they shared with her. Even though she could no longer tend a garden, she began to grow her own LEGO garden by spending hours building flowers alongside Jason, Karen, and their boys. Her LEGO garden was a perfect reflection of her; simple, beautiful, and created with love.

Donna is survived by one son and daughter in law, Jason and Karen Nelson of Ankeny, IA; one daughter and son in law, Julie and Wade Bromwich of Black Hawk, SD; five grandchildren Andrew, Tyler and Jack Nelson, Brayden and Siobhon Bromwich; also, two brothers, Melvin (Theresa) Sadler of Dunkerton, Gerald (Elaine) Sadler of Cedar Falls, IA; two sisters, Rita Schmitz of Jesup and Judy Starbeck of Waterloo; two sisters in law, Thres Sadler of Fairbank, IA, Donna Mae Sadler of Fairbank: also many nieces and nephews. Her parents, one sister Mary (in infancy); seven brothers, Alvin (in infancy), Dean Sadler, Raymond Sadler, Garold Sadler, Harold, Edwin, and Erving Sadler; a brother-in-law, George Schmitz; and a niece Lisa Dolan DeRoos, preceded her in death.

Those who knew her well, will remember her with a bottle of Diet Mountain Dew in hand as well as her gift for noticing the little things that others might overlook. Most of all, they will remember that every conversation ended the same way, with the words, “LOVE TO ALL.”

Though our hearts are broken, we are grateful for all of the memories we are left with. Donna’s life reminds us to slow down, find beauty in everyday moments, delight in life’s simple pleasures, and never miss an opportunity to tell those we love exactly how we feel.

So, in Donna’s words, LOVE TO ALL

White Funeral Home, Jesup, IA, is in charge of the arrangements.