Donna Dee Lister, 79, of Spearfish, passed away from this life peacefully on Thursday, September 4, at Spearfish Regional Hospital surrounded by her loving family.

Donna was born on March 25, 1935, to Irvin and Eva Linnell in Goodland, KS. As a child she loved being outdoors and riding her horse. Her parents instilled in her a life-long ethic of taking pride in hard work and being there to help others, traits she later passed on to her children.

She met her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Carl Royce Lister, at a clothing store in Goodland. Donna's brother-in-law Dean Spurlin worked at the store and her mother had sent her in to invite Dean to the house for supper that night. She ran in with her hair up in curlers "looking like the dickens", according to Donna, and Royce was in the store shopping. He took one look at her and said to himself, 'I'm going to marry that girl'. Donna liked to joke that Royce was the inspiration for "the Fonz" tv character from Happy Days always wearing cuffed blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket, "He was the coolest guy in town," she would recall.

Royce and Donna were married in 1953 and lived on the Lister family farm, where they raised crops, cattle, sheep and three sons, Roger Earl, Robert Allen and Randall Scott. She would recall how difficult it was to do all the work to plant the crops and get them growing and then watch as a huge storm would start building in the west and then wipe out everything they had worked to do.

In 1977 they decided to sell the farm and move the family to Topeka, Kansas where they bought a ranch and raised running Quarter Horses and cattle. They also operated a rock quarry and a trucking company. At this time Donna started working for Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Topeka. She took tremendous pride in meeting her performance goals each and every month of the 16 years she worked for the company.

In 1983, they welcomed their first grandson and a whole new chapter of the joys of being a grandparent opened up to them.

Donna and Royce decided to take on a new challenge in 1984 and went to work for the Motel 6 corporation managing and turning around struggling properties in Dallas and Wichita Falls, Texas and Wichita, Kansas. They then returned to Hoyt, KS and worked for the Hoyt School district, which gave them the opportunity to be around even more kids.

In 1996, Donna's husband Royce passed away after nearly 43 years of marriage. It was hard for everyone to be able to even imagine one without the other, but Donna learned to thrive in her new journey in life by keeping busy with good friends and visiting family.

In 2007, Donna decided to move from Hoyt, KS to Spearfish, SD so she could be closer to her youngest grandchildren. Donna was always the first to arrive at a piano recital, band concert or soccer sideline to cheer on her grandkids. She was fortunate to meet many new friends and loved living in the beautiful Black Hills.

Donna found joy in the simple pleasures of life. She enjoyed going to church and volunteering at the Spearfish Senior Center. Gardening, canning and quilting were things she was known for by others. Home-cooked meals with family and friends sitting around telling stories and laughing were among her cherished times. An avid Kansas State University Wildcats sports fan, she never missed cheering them on for a game. She enjoyed playing cards, Hand and Foot and Pinochle were here favorites and she loved whipping up on anyone who dared take her on at Dominoes.

Donna's good cooking, kind heart and easy laugh will be greatly missed by her family; son Robert "Bob" Lister and wife Colleen, Newton, KS; son Scott Lister and wife Letti, Spearfish; grandsons Jared (Suzanne) Lister, Salina, KS; Jake Lister, Ft. Worth, TX; Christopher Lister and granddaughter Madiera Lister, Spearfish. Great grandchildren Jaylee, Keagan, Kailyn and Braylin, all of Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Royce, son Roger, siblings Iris Lea, Eva Belle, Irvin "Sonny" and infant brother Johnny Kay.

Services are planned for 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 8 at All Angels Episcopal Church in Spearfish. Lunch served in the fellowship hall afterwards. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established to benefit the Spearfish Senior Citizens Center. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Hoyt, Kansas.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com