in memoriam

expanded eulogies

“In Memoriam” listings are expanded paid obituaries, phrased as the family requests, and may include enhanced information or photographs that might not fit within free death notices.

Donna Snelling

Donna Lea (Kerns) Snelling’s life began Feb. 4, 1940, the daughter of John and Flora (Tiers) Kerns, in Florence, Kansas. She graduated from Florence High School with the class of 1958.

She was united in marriage to Richard Duane Snelling on June 1, 1957, in Burns, Kansas.

Donna was the owner and operator of Lea J Alan Enterprises in Newton for 16 years. She loved her family and enjoyed bowling, golf, traveling in their motor home, and Hallmark movies. She was a member of the Kansas Twisters Motorhome Club and Kansas Manufactured Housing Association, of which she was a board member.

Her loving family includes her husband, Richard, of the home; daughter and her husband, Jaci and Jon Beeman; sons and their wives, Bruce and Shari Snelling of Newton, and John and Liz Snelling of Augusta; two sisters, Karen Walker of Kansas City, Kansas, and Linda Eggers and husband, Rick, of Great Bend, Kansas; grandchildren, Kati Westerhaus and husband, Chris; Kylie Johnson and husband, Kalin; Garett Snelling; and Tyler Snelling; and four great-grandchildren, Harper and Kase Westerhaus; Mattix Bruner; and Hudson Snelling.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents and an infant sister, Penni Kerns. Donna passed away Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, having reached the age of 77 years old.

Her family will gather with friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, and a funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, both at Carlson Colonial Funeral Home with Pastor Steve Hysom officiating. She will be laid to rest in Hillcrest Cemetery in Florence, Kansas.

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be directed to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market St, Wichita KS 67202, or Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside St, Wichita KS 67219.

Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Donna at www.carlsoncolonial.com