Donna Struchen

TRACY — A private family funeral service for Donna Ruth Struchen, 91, of Tracy will be at 10:30 a.m. today at Victory Christian Church in Balaton. The service will be broadcast on the Stephens Funeral Service Facebook page. Facebook link may be found and online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, please wear a mask and practice social distancing guidelines. A 50% indoor occupancy restriction will be maintained. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

She died unexpectedly Friday, June 12, 2020.

Donna Ruth Struchen was born Nov. 28, 1928, to Edward and Eunice (Netsch) Kraninger in Detroit, Michigan.  She was baptized at the Methodist Church in Mallard, Iowa and confirmed at the Lutheran Church in May City, Iowa.  She graduated from Iowa School of Beauty Culture in 1949. Donna married James Howard and together they had three children: Jim, Gary and Sandra.  On Nov. 26, 1951, she married her husband Robert Struchen and they continued to grow their family with seven more children: Ronald, Steven, Beverly, Connie, Glen, Donald, and Sharalyn.  Donna worked willingly, tirelessly and lovingly beside Robert on the farm for 35 years. She enjoyed gardening, quilting, friendships, sharing recipes, but most of all, she loved relationships with everyone.  Donna had a very compassionate heart and never wanted to see anyone hurting or sad. Her vision loss limited the activities she enjoyed including creating beautiful works of art through ceramics, painting and designing garden areas.  She canned 600 quarts of food annually, raised, dressed and delivered thousands of chickens and sewed school clothes for our family.  Robert never had to pay for a haircut, until Donna’s vision failed her.  All of the above and more won Donna the Honored Homemaker Award in 1977. Family and friends enjoyed many meals around her wide-opened arms’ table.  She was “Map Quest” before it became an online map service.  Our greatest comfort is how she loved and knew her Bible very well.  Donna wrote numerous words of wisdom in her Bible for us. She loved deeply and she will live with the Lord, with Robert, and in our hearts forever.  Our family extends our deepest gratitude for the unending care provided by Donna’s daughter, Connie.  She kept Donna and Robert at home for years, where they longed to live.

Donna is survived by her children, James (Ellenn) Howard, Sandi (Keith) Wirtz, Ronald Struchen, Steven (fiancée Kathy Amert) Struchen, Beverly (Ron) Werder, Connie Gribbin, Glen (Tammy) Struchen, Donald (Shannon) Struchen and Sharalyn (Larry) Hansen; and abundantly blessed with many grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren, and other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Robert, son Gary, grandchildren: Joe Wirtz, Jeanna Wirtz and Travis Struchen, brother Jim Kraninger and many family and friends.