Donna (Gunderson) Martinez

A funeral service for Donna J. (Thomas) (Gunderson) Martinez, 88, of Kalona will be held Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 10:00am at the East Union Mennonite Church in Kalona, with Pastor Joel Beachy officiating.  A graveside service will be held at 2pm at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Marshalltown, IA.  Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 14 from 5 – 7 pm at the Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona.  A memorial fund has been established for the East Union Mennonite Church.  Donna Martinez died Thursday, March 9, 2017 at her home in Kalona.

Donna Jean Martinez was born December 11, 1928 in Marshalltown, IA., the daughter of Chester and Bernadine (Thompson) Thomas.  She graduated from Marshalltown High School. She married Emmett Gunderson on June 27, 1950. Emmett died in 1967.  Donna worked as a secretary for Fisher Governor and a law office until 1968 when she began working for the LeGrand Dunbar Ferguson (LDF) School District, where she worked until retirement in 1988. In December of 1988 she was united in marriage to Joe Martinez. Donna was a member of the East Union Mennonite Church and she enjoyed watching sports, including the Iowa State Cyclones and the Iowa Hawkeyes, flower gardening and staying in touch with her family.  She was a very good cook, learning to cook Norwegian and Mexican food.

Survivors include her husband Joe of Kalona, three sons: Darryl (Elizabeth) Gunderson of Nevada, TX., Dennis (Suzette) Gunderson of Fond Du Lac, WI., Dan (Lois) Gunderson of Chambersburg, PA., three step sons: Joey (Erin) Martinez of Denver, CO., Mark (Lori) Martinez of Cedar Rapids, IA., Robert (Letice) Martinez of Brookfield, IL., eleven grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and five step grandchildren.

Preceding Donna in death were her parents, her husband Emmett in 1967 and her sister Dorothy Richardson in 2007.