Donna Rae (Barlow) Lyons, 81

A celebration of life for Donna Rae (Barlow) Lyons, 81, of Norfolk, formerly of Long Pine was held on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater with Delores Ruzicka officiating. Burial followed in the Ewing Cemetery. Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater is in charge of arrangements. Donna gained her wings and entered heaven June 5, 2022, at St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Care Center in Norfolk and was reunited with her loving husband.

Donna Rae Lyons was born August 11, 1940 to Kenneth (Bud) and Frances (Spangler) Barlow in rural Ewing, NE. She lived in the Ewing/Inman area and graduated from Inman High School in 1958. She loved her school years and especially loved playing sports.

Shortly after graduating, she met the love of her life Leroy (Lee) at a turkey farm in O’Neill, NE, where he had started working and she had dropped off her father for work one day. They were married August 1, 1958 at the Methodist Church in Yankton, SD and were blessed to be by each other’s side for 62 years. Lee and Donna began their marriage in Omaha and lived several places while raising their four children including Lincoln, Stromsburg, Neligh, Atkinson, Chambers, Cozad, Long Pine, Bassett and lastly Norfolk.

Throughout the years she worked various jobs, including a bus driver for Elgin Pope John and a home caregiver for the State of Nebraska/ Area On Aging for over 35 years.

Donna was always happy and had a wonderful sense of humor. She came up with one liners in an instant and you never quite knew if she was kidding or serious. She enjoyed going to garage sales, cross stitching, embroidering, dancing, good ole’ country music, reading, working on her flowers and mowing, playing cards, games, crossword puzzles, going to the casinos and Estes Park, CO.

She was an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers fan all of her life, especially football and volleyball. During the football season you knew every Saturday that she was either watching or listening to the game while shouting out helpful hints for the coaches and players. She always said she spoke to the Nebraska coaches on a regular basis to offer them her help. In November 1975 she joined a friend on a bus trip to the Nebraska football game in Norman, OK. The night before they left we received over 8” of snow and our hilly road to the highway had not been cleared. Her sons Terry, Dave and Steve helped her and her luggage down the hill on a sled to meet her friend at the highway.

Through her father, she was introduced to the New York Yankees and followed them all of her life. Donna also enjoyed watching the Denver Broncos. Donna was a private person, but loved her family and friends more than they will ever know. She was very proud of her “Grands and Greats” and loved seeing them, hearing about their latest antics and watching them grow up. Donna will be deeply missed by her family and friends, but will always remain in our hearts and memories. Fly high, Mom. A part of you has been missing since losing dad. We find peace knowing you are back together.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Leisa (Marcel) Kube, Norfolk, NE, Terry Lyons, Helena, MT and Steven/Bubba (Peggy) Lyons, Long Pine, NE; nine grandchildren: 13 great-grandchildren, two sisters, Joan (Leonard) Hawk of Ewing and Vera (Lonnie) Eacker of Ewing; two brothers, Garry (Lorie) Barlow of Ewing and Larry (Lynne) Barlow of O’Neill; and numerous other family including nieces, nephews, and friends.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Lee Lyons; son, David Lyons; her parents; brothers, Kenny Barlow, Tom Barlow, Jack Barlow and wife, Lavonne Barlow and baby; and great-grandson, Jameson Painter.

Donna’s family would like to thank Dr. Hirschman, special care givers Sarah, David and everyone else at St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Care Center for everything they did during her stay there, and Carol for all the homemade goodies. God Bless you all; we appreciate everything you did for her.

Donna and Lee no longer need walkers or wheelchairs, no more pain, no more arthritis or heart problems, no more pills, no more Myelodysplasia or Raynaud’s and no more missing each other. They are back together sitting on their porch catching up with family and friends in heaven.