Donna Ray Schlender was born on December 10, 1945 in Huron, South Dakota, to James and Alma (Etty Johnson) Schlender, the youngest of seven children.
Donna grew up on a farm, attended school in Irwin, South Dakota, moved to Brookings, South Dakota, and attended high school for her junior year (1962) and senior year (1963). She attended South Dakota State University and completed a two-year certification in secretarial science before transferring to Northern University in Aberdeen, South Dakota to study her primary education. She graduated from Northern University in 1968 and received her degree.
Donna met her husband, Ronald Warmke, while in Northern on a blind date to see a horror movie at a drive-in theater. Ron sent her a dozen roses the next day and she always said, “I think she did well.” They were married in August 1967.
After teaching in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ron and Donna moved to Arizona and taught on the Navajo Reservation for two years. While in Arizona, they loved traveling the area on weekends and attended many shows in Las Vegas including Frank Sinatra and Wayne Newton.
They returned to Brookings in 1971 and continued their teaching careers while pursuing higher education. Donna received her master’s degree in educational administration in 1973. She adopted her son Sean in 1973 and moved to Gillette in 1976. She adopted her daughter Lisa in 1978.
Donna was a beloved teacher/administrative assistant in the Campbell County School District, teaching multiple generations of students from the same family. Shaped the careers of many future teachers across the state.
Donna loved to sing and often boasted about teaching her cousins how to sing. Then she became an opera singer. She was an active member of the Gillette Chamber Singers and has toured Europe on singing tours with the group. Donna and her husband have attended and performed at the Austrian Classical Music Festival on her own five occasions.
After 29 years of education, Donna retired and moved to Colorado with Ron to be closer to her grandchildren Sarah and Braden. In Colorado, she continued her love of music and she became an active member of the Longmont Choir. She and Ron returned to Europe with the group and performed as well. She regularly visited her daughter in Seattle.
Donna loved classical music, flowers, Christmas lights, baking cookies, travel and family.
She passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at Bridge Assisting Living where she lived and had been cared for for the past year.
Her parents, two brothers and three sisters predeceased.
In lieu of flowers, families are asking for donations to the Navajo Relief Fund (http://www.nrfprograms.org) in honor of Donna Wormke.
This paid obituary was provided by the family.
