Nona Donaldson

Mom was so always loving of family that she decided to be born at her great-grandmother Pernicia Jacobs’ house in Zillah, on December 3, 1918. She was attended by her mother and her grandmother – Leila Lewis – who was a licensed midwife. The last time she saw the house – about four years ago – she said that it hadn’t changed much. She was raised on Rainier Avenue with her older brother Virgil by her parents Harry Scott and Anna May Lewis Scott. Over the years, Grandma Lewis and Grandpa Marion A. Lewis also lived there. Grandma used to say that she would send mom to school dressed up like a little doll and that she would come home looking like a ragamuffin, because she played football, basketball, and baseball with the boys at recess. Grandpa taught her how to box, because he knew she would always be little. Mom went all the way through school in Zillah, taking academic, dramatic, and athletic honors. She earned two letters in girls’ basketball – at five foot tall and about 105 pounds… She participated in gymnastics and swimming. Most of Zillah… and much of Toppenish, Buena, and Granger… then, was family and friends – most of those folks from western counties of Kentucky. She knew dad’s family here – also mostly from Kentucky. She married dad – Sergeant William Howard Donaldson, in 1944. Her first job was as bookkeeper for Geoff Hilton. She did similar work for Stadelman warehouse, and later for Graham and Morris, and the Zillah Prentice Ranch – where she and dad farmed for over 20 years. During World War II she was Chief Telephone Operator for the Lower Yakima Valley. She was active in many organizations, and was a long time President of Women’s Century Club, and Volunteer for Lower Valley Community Concerts. While she still lived in Zillah, she would go to the big grocery store and park her car looking south so she could see across the street a small home with two huge old evergreen trees and a rosebush that her great-grandfather Milton “Doc” Jacobs had planted. She was the “energizer bunny” until a few days ago. Her abundant intellect and vast memory failed her the last few years, but she maintained charm and spirit. She passed away at Amber Hills Assisted Living Facility in Prosser, the morning of September 16, 2017. A sincere thanks to those folks and Hospice, Prosser Memorial, and Urgent Care. She is survived by step daughter Barbara Lee Baker of Nine Mile Falls, and son Dan (and wife Elizabeth) Donaldson of Prosser. She also leaves grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a huge number of nieces and nephews and cousins throughout the Northwest and in Kentucky, Tenessee, Virginia, Illinois, and Lousiana. Graveside service at Zillah at 1:00 on Saturday, Sept. 30; gathering to follow at the Community Center. We long held Mom and Dad in our arms, and now we still hold them in our hearts To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Nona Donaldson, please visit our flower store.