Donna J. (Feggestad) Offerdahl (age 88), loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away Thursday, January 25, 2024 at her residence in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota.  She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Donna was born May 26, 1935, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI and was the only child of Arnold S. and Myrtle C. (Nelson) Feggestad. In her early years, her family lived in Deerfield, WI. By the time Donna turned age 5, her family had moved to Madison.

Donna attended Washington Grade School and Central High School in Madison, WI, as well as Carroll University in Waukesha, WI from which she graduated in 1957. She was active in many Carroll activities, including being named Homecoming Queen and Chi Omega President.  While at Carroll, she participated in student council, drama, choir, baseball and volleyball.  Donna earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Carroll University, and was hired right out of college by the Waukesha School District as an elementary teacher at Whittier School in Waukesha, the same school where she had student taught.  That same year, on June 14^th, 1957, she married her college sweetheart, Phillip John Offerdahl of Stoughton, WI, who also was hired by the Waukesha School System.

Donna taught one year in Waukesha before she and Phillip started their family.  She decided to work at home to raise their children.  After all six children had entered school, Donna went back to school to earn her Reading Specialist degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and returned to elementary teaching at Northview Elementary School, across the street from their home.  She loved the fact that her youngest children were at the same school, and they could walk across the street for lunch!

Donna was an elementary teacher until her retirement in 1990. While in Waukesha, she and Phil were members of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where Donna was active in the women’s group and director of the children’s choir. In 1973, she went into partnership with her good friend, Eunice Hughes, another St. Mark’s member, purchasing the Dari Maid in Land O’Lakes, WI.  They ran the business in partnership each summer until 1983 ~ hiring their children for summer employment until most were off to college.

Donna and Phil retired to northern Wisconsin, where they enjoyed the outdoors and expanded their social life.  In her leisure time, Donna loved quilting, and fulfilled her goal to create a personalized quilt for each of her 18 grandchildren, embroidered on the back with the words, “Wrapped in love by Grandma Donna.”  She loved entertaining family, helped take care of grandchildren and baked lots of cookies!  She served as a volunteer in the Land O’ Lakes, WI library for many years and was a member of, and choir director for, Pioneer Lake Lutheran Church in Conover, Wisconsin.

Donna is survived by her six children; Sonya (James) Gindorff of St. Paul, MN, Julie (Richard) Enger of Cumming, GA,  Kari (William) Weber of Hudson, WI,  Eric Offerdahl, of Conover, WI, Nelson (Abbie) Offerdahl of Gulf Breeze, FL and Leif (Lorri) Offerdahl of Eagle River, WI, as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and Offerdahl nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Phillip, and granddaughter, Ashley Offerdahl.

A memorial service will be held in her honor in northern Wisconsin in the summer of 2024.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to The Gables at Boutwell’s Landing in Oak Park Heights, MN (please note “Boutwells Gables 3^rd floor” in the comment/note or memo line, Checks should be made out to “Presbyterian Homes Foundation.”)  or to the Memorial Fund at Pioneer Lake Lutheran Church in Conover, WI. (pioneerlakelc.org)