Donna Svendsen, 83

Donna Svendsen, 83, passed away Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Kalispell.

She was born on Sept. 22, 1933, to Howard and Dorothy Hill. After graduation from high school she worked for Security Benefit Life Insurance Co. in Topeka, Kansas.

She married Ken Svendsen on Oct. 10, 1952, in Topeka, Kansas, in a chapel on the Air Base and they were married for 64 years. After Ken’s discharge from the Air Force they moved to Kalispell. He became an optician and they moved around from Montana, Kansas, Washington and Oregon. In Helena, they opened their own optical store, where she worked part time for her husband. She was also a baby sitter for others for many years. They sold their optical store in 1989 and moved back to Kalispell.

They spent many years traveling in their retirement, visiting Mexico, Canada and all the states. They always spent some months in Arizona during the winter. She enjoyed her home, flowers and crocheting afghans which she gave to family and nursing homes. She loved traveling and, most of all, loved having her children and grandchildren around.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Dorothy Hill.

She is survived by her husband, Ken; daughters, Deborah (Dan) Weed of Polson and Cheryl (Rand) Stahlberg of Kalispell, and son, Ken Jr. (Ann) of Helena; grandchildren, Jason, Sarah and Jacey; and great-grandsons, Aiden and Austin; her sisters, Diana (Bob) Hook and Denise (Steve) Appelhanz, and brothers, Donald (Becky) Hill and and Loren, all of Kansas; and nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Stillwater Free Lutheran Church of Kalispell, Search & Rescue or Flathead County Animal Shelter.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Stillwater Free Lutheran Church in Kalispell, with a gathering to follow at the church.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for the family.