Donna Mae Niss (Gutschow), 88 years old, born December 17th, 1934 passed peacefully on November 19th, 2023 with family at her side. She passed naturally after suffering a noteworthy stroke in January of 2021.

Donna grew up in Elgin, Illinois. She married her high school sweetheart, Clark, in 1955. They were married for 64 wonderful years. They had their first child, Susan, and then moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1960 where the family added two more beautiful children, Diane and Steven. Donna served on several church councils at Lutheran Churches in Kansas City, Fort Smith, and Tulsa. She was the long-time office manager working at Co-Plas, the company her husband Clark co-founded.

Known to her family as Nonnie (a name given to her by her first grandchild Michelle), she loved music and played the piano and the accordion. Nonnie was extremely talented at knitting and sewing and loved to make personalized gifts for all her children, grandchildren, and friends. She was competitive and played golf, and cards, and always kept up with her Kansas City Chiefs. Her competitiveness came out in the scorebook that she kept with her close friend Donna Rock, with a record of all gin rummy games played over 34 years!

She and Clark loved hosting her kids, grandkids, and friends at their lake house at Beaver Lake in Arkansas and a beach house in Naples Florida. Nonnie loved to waterski (if the boat didn't go too fast), play golf, and socialize at the clubhouse as many days as she could.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Henrietta Gutschow, husband Clark Niss, daughter Diane Niss, her brother Warren Gutschow and sister-n-law Rhoda Gutschow.

Donna is survived by her daughter Susan Sparks and husband Kevin with their children Michelle & Charles (Michael) and wife Rachel, and great-grandson Charles (Charlie); son, Steven Niss, and wife Sandra (Sandy) with their children Madelyn (Maddie) & Lauren.

In place of flowers, donations can be made to Joy Lutheran Church.

Visitation will be 9-11 AM Wednesday, November 29 at Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel on 91st and Harvard with a celebration of life service at 1 PM at Joy Lutheran on 101st and Yale. A burial will follow for a private family committal. Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500.