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FAIRMONT -- Donna Dawn Hillestad, 84, passed away Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, at home. A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Lakeview Funeral Home with Pastor Daul and Pastor Goodwin of Immanuel Lutheran Church officiating. A visitation will be held prior to the funeral from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Donna was born May 13, 1938, in Merrill, Wis., the daughter of Edna (Frederick) Dietrich and Martin Dietrich. She graduated from Merrill High School in 1956, and attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Maryland before graduating with a BSN in nursing from Mankato State University in 1962. She married John Hillestad of Fairmont on July 18, 1959, and they lived in Bethesda, Md. from 1959 until 1961 while John was commissioned as a pharmacist for the United States Public Health Service. When his term was up, they returned to Fairmont and built their life together here. She worked as an office nurse for the Fairmont Clinic from 1963 until 1965, a public health nurse from 1965 until 1967 and a registered nurse at Lakeview Methodist Home from 1967 until 1999. There was nothing Donna loved more than traveling. She was proud of having visited all 50 states and many European countries. She and John hosted exchange students from Denmark, Norway, France and Switzerland, as well as travelers who passed through Fairmont with Up With People, NACEL, and Friendship Force. They were also frequent travelers with Friendship Force themselves. Donna held an amateur radio license and made contact with stations all around the world. She was also an avid correspondent who kept up with pen pals from many different countries. Year after year, visitors to the Martin County Fair would see Donna's name on many knitting, embroidery, counted cross-stitch projects, as well as baked goods and photos from her travels. She managed to accumulate more than 1,700 ribbons throughout the 50 years she brought things to the fair, and still had every one of those ribbons the day she died. She also enjoyed playing bridge and mahjong. She was a member of AAUW and BPW, and as a snowbird to Lake Wales, Fla., she was active in garden club and several other organizations there. She was preceded in death by her sister, DuAnn, who only lived a few hours; her parents; in-laws, Hazel and Maurice Hillestad; and her husband. She is survived by daughter, Dori (Robert) Butler of Kirkland, Wash.; son, Dave Hillestad of Savage, Minn.; grandson, Benjamin of Bellevue, Wash.; and granddaughter, Artemis of Newcastle, Wash. The family requests memorials be given in Donna's name to the Alzheimer's Association. www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net