Donna Deepe

Donna Marie Fidler Deepe was born December 2, 1929, to Dewey and Elva (Sickels) Fidler in Athelstan, IA, and passed away in Fargo, ND, on May 27, 2023, at the age of 93.

Donna’s childhood was spent, along with her brother, Denzel, at the family farm near Athelstan, where she began her education in a country school. At age 12, she moved with her family from Athelstan to a farm in the Martland, NE, area. Donna graduated from nearby Geneva High School in the class of 1948.

Donna married Owen E. Deepe on December 26, 1948, in a double wedding with Owen’s brother Dean marrying Delores Fox, Donna’s friend and classmate. The wedding was held at the home of the groom’s parents, Edward and Dorothea Deepe. They became parents of three children:  James, Dale, and Janet.

Donna and Owen operated a farm near Bruning, NE, for 17 years, while raising their family. During those years, Donna was active at Trinity Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School and was active in the church-associated women’s groups. She also enjoyed being part of the neighborhood birthday and card clubs, and was a 4-H Leader.

In 1965, Donna enrolled in the Practical Nursing Program at the Lincoln School of Nursing.  Following graduation, she accepted a position at Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva, where she worked 26 years.

With their children grown, they sold the farming operation and moved to Geneva, NE, in 1970.
Following their retirement in 1993, Donna and Owen moved to the Missouri Ozarks and lived year-round in the vacation cabin they built in the 1980s on a wooded acreage. Many cherished family memories were made during and after the multi-year construction effort. They became good friends with the kind and welcoming neighbors.

During their early retirement years, Donna and Owen volunteered with Hospice in Branson, MO, with Donna becoming the Volunteer Coordinator for Stone and Taney Counties. This was a position she held until 2005, when health issues prevented her from continuing. Soon afterward, they moved to Nixa, MO, where they lived until May of 2019, when they moved to Fargo, ND, to be with family.

Donna was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by her husband of nearly 75 years, Owen, three children:  Jim (Norajean) Deepe of Mesa, AZ, Dale (Judie) Deepe of Greybull, WY, and Janet McCormick of Fargo, ND; former son-in-law Kim McCormick of Sparks, NE; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are brother-in-law Donald Deepe of Deshler, NE, sister-in-law Jean Elie of Fort Collins, CO, sister-in-law Marion (Lloyd) VanCleef of Hebron, NE, and nine nieces and seven nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dewey and Elva Fidler, step-mother Bertha Hedden, brother Denzel Fidler, and great-granddaughters Jenna Daer and Taylor Deepe.

A memorial service will be Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 2:00 P.M., with visitation for one hour before the service, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, MN.