Doneta D. Simonton age 86, of Broken Bow, NE died at Heritage of Bel Air in Norfolk on July 28th, 2019.
Funeral services will be Friday, August 2, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow, with Pastor Matt Fowler officiating. Visitation will be Thursday, August 1, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Govier Brother Mortuary in Broken Bow, NE. Govier Brothers Mortuary is in charge of arrangement. Burial will be at the Purdum Cemetary at 3:00 p.m. in Purdum, NE.
Doneta was born October 14, 1932 to Gale and Marie (McCullough) Keys. She grew up in the Sandhills near Purdum, NE with her brothers, Donald, Derrold, and Dewey (Bud) and her sisters, Delores (who died at age 9) and Dancie. After attending grade school, she attended and graduated from Dunning High School.
On September 10, 1950 she married Paul E. Simonton at the Purdum Congregational Church. They had 56 years and 11 months together until Paul’s death in August of 2007.
She attended Kearney State College to receive a teaching certificate. There, she met 3 very special friends, Verlee, Pat and Margaret, that she kept all her life. She taught in a one room school while Paul served in the military, after his discharge in October 1952, they moved to Douglas, WY to work on a ranch, then back to NE in 1953 to a ranch in the Merna area. In 1956, they purchased a farm located between Broken Bow and Berwyn where they raised crops and milked dairy cattle for 28 years. She also raised a big garden and chickens to help feed the family.
Doneta was an active member of the Berwyn community. She helped form and led the Berwyn Stitchers 4-H club for many years. She was a member of the Methodist Church, helping when needed. She was a member of the Custer Country Craft Guild/ The Country Store for 45 years and was the business manager for most of those years. She loved making and selling crafts of all kinds, most notably crocheted doilies and baked fruit breads. She and Paul belonged to Custer Couples and the community card club. Doneta loved to host family gatherings and to spend time with her children and grandchildren. She never missed an opportunity to attend her grandchildren’s rodeos, 4-H and school events.
In 1985, due to Paul’s health, they turned the farm over to their son, Gary and moved into Broken Bow. Doneta was employed with Connely’s Camper Corner doing upholstery repair before starting a sewing business out of her home and even continued to do some sewing after moving into Off Broadway Assisted Living in 2014. There was little she couldn’t make from scratch, mend or alter. She especially enjoyed working on wedding and prom dresses and replaced a lot of zippers. Her hands were always busy sewing, baking, knitting, crocheting, or gardening. Doneta loved flowers, especially roses. She grew many different kinds and colors while living in Broken Bow, but her favorite were the red roses.
In October of 2017 Doneta moved to Heritage of Bel Air in Norfolk to be close to family to help in her care.
Doneta is survived by her son, Paul “Gene” and wife Kim of Tryon, his children, Valerie (Dan) Standeven of Lincoln, Amanda (Jason) Marshall of Mullen, and Jason (Jacoby) Simonton of Grand Island; her daughter, Cathy and husband Earl Joy of Norfolk, their children, Sharidie (Jason) Sally of Omaha, and Austin (Tasha) Joy of Kearney; and her son, Gary and wife Dori of Granbury, TX, and their children, Trisha (Nick) Donegan of Granbury, TX, Shelly Hanson of Orlando, FL, Lyndsey (Sam) Myers of Tolar, TX, and Courtney Simonton of Austin, TX; as well as 12 great granddaughters and 4 great grandsons; a brother, Dewey Keys and wife Mary of Hershey, and a sister-in-law, Betty Nelson and husband Swede of Lexington, as well as many nieces and nephews and extended family.
Doneta was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, Gale and Marie Keys, her two sisters, Delores Keys and Dancie Smith, and two brothers, Donald Keys and Derrold Keys, her father and mother in law, Lewis and Anna Simonton, two brothers-in-law Dorn Simonton and Morris Simonton and 3 sisters-in-law, Murle Nichols, Ellen Sealy and Bertha Keys as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. She will be greatly missed but known that she is finally “home”.
Memorials are suggested to be given in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association.
