IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Donna Rae

Donna Rae Jelley Profile Photo

Jelley

December 10, 1931 – March 30, 2016

Obituary

Donna Rae Jelley

Donna Rae Jelley passed away March 31, 2016 surrounded by her family. She was the eldest daughter of Raymond and Pearl Drilling, born on December 10, 1931 in Hastings, Minnesota. She grew up in Hastings where she was a talented figure skater, ice skating on the frozen lake in town. She graduated from Hastings High School in 1949. The high school's 1949 yearbook calls her "Rae" and describes her as "Possessor of a sweet and pleasing personality." In the yearbook she is also described as a good dancer and that during her junior year she helped make the high school Prom a success. Donna played clarinet in the marching band all four years at Hastings High School, and also at St. Cloud Teachers College. Her father, Raymond Drilling, was a carpenter. He also ran the projector at the local movie theater at night. Her mother, Pearl, worked at the Smead manufacturing company.
She met Herb Jelley, her future husband, when they rode together to hear Billy Graham in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were married a year later in 1952 and soon moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she became a first grade teacher. After the birth of their children, Dave & Steve, she devoted herself fulltime to being a mother and homemaker.
Their family subsequently moved to Louisville, KY and Kansas City, MO before settling in Stillwater, OK. Donna became active in the PTA at Will Rogers Elementary School, vacation bible school at the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, and the Stillwater Medical Center auxiliary. She never missed one of her son's golf tournaments or school activities. In retirement, Donna & Herb moved to Tulsa, OK to be closer to their children and grandchildren. She is survived by her husband Herb, sons Dave and his wife Martina, Steve and his wife Julie, and five grandchildren – Hannah, Elisa, Brendon, Ben, and Garrett.
Funeral service will be held Tuesday April 5, at 11 a.m. at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – Tulsa Chapter @ 907 S Detroit Ave #1006, Tulsa, OK 74120, 918-877-1951.

Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500
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