Donna Jean Collinson

Donna Jean Collinson, 89, of Sandpoint, Idaho, went to rest with the Lord on Monday, November 7, 2022, at Crook County Medical Services in Sundance, Wyoming. 

Donna was born on July 19, 1933, in Sandpoint, in her mother's bed, just as the rest of her siblings were. She and her five siblings, Evelyn, Gene, Jerry, Beverly and Shirley grew up in a small town in Idaho with their parents, Hugh Eugene and Eva Rose Thurlow.

As a child, Donna was always a quick-witted little girl always teasing her brothers and sisters, and making everyone in her path laugh, and sometimes ruffling a few feathers. 

After graduating high school in Sandpoint, with a couple of her elder siblings, (Jerry and Beverly) Donna worked at Pastime Cafe in Sandpoint, where she served the locals and became a favorite to some of her regulars. Donna then moved to California with Otto Young, her first husband.

Together, they had their two kids, Donald E. Young and Cathy L. Robert (Young). They lived there until Don went to kindergarten and then they moved back home to Sandpoint where she went back to work for Pastime.

After a few more years, she moved to Libby, Montana, with her two children, where she met her second husband, Chuck Collinson. After Donna and Chuck separated, she settled in Prosser, Washington, where she worked at both local grocery stores with her daughter.

Also, living right down the road from Don and Cathy Robert and their four kids, she got to spend a lot of time with her grandkids. Donna then moved in with her son, Don, in Tacoma, Washington, where he and his three kids lived (the Young kids), who she helped raise.

After that, she moved in with her daughter in West Richland, Washington. In 2020, they moved to Wyoming where she lived the rest of her days. Donna was a very hard-working woman, but family was always the most important thing to her.

Donna loved playing cards (pinochle, cribbage and solitaire being her favorites) and games with her family, especially Yahtzee! She enjoyed a good puzzle as well and always crime investigation TV.

She absolutely loved music! Throw on some Frank, Dean or Nat and she was instantly snapping her fingers and singing along! She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandkids and her great-grandkids, and her great-great-grandkids. A total of 19!

Donna is survived by her son, Donald Young of Tacoma; his three kids, Casey of Richland, Washington, Gina of Tacoma and her two sons, Brandon and Camdon, and Jessica of Tacoma and her son Malakai; her daughter, Cathy Robert and her husband Don Robert of Upton, Wyoming; their kids, Hilari Anderson of Sundance and her three kids; Rose Black and her husband Jody Black, of North Platte, Nebraska; Emma Anderson, of Sheridan, Wyoming and her two sons Ira and Avery and Jacob Anderson of Sheridan; Sara Santillie and her husband Chase Santillie, of Sundance; Ashley Wheeler and her husband Nick Wheeler of Sundance and their four kids, Audrey, Addi, Jon and Luke; and Bryan Robert of Upton. And many more cousins and nieces and nephews in the Washington, Idaho and Montana areas.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents, Hugh and Eva, and all of her siblings, Evelyn and her husband Phil, Gene and his wife Jenny, Jerry, Beverly and her husband Del and Shirley and her husband Arnold.

Donna touched so many hearts while she was here on earth, too many to count, and she loved every one of them. She will be enormously missed! We will always and forever carry your memory in our hearts.

Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Fidler-Roberts & Isburg Funeral Chapel in Sundance.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Roberts & Isburg Funeral Chapel of Sundance. Online condolences may be written at http://www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com