Donna June Clem

Donna June (Heyerly) Clem, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 30, 2026 at the Timberline Post Acute Facility in Albany where she had been rehabilitating and convalescing since her stroke on September 3, 2025.

Donna was born on a dairy farm on May 27, 1937 to Elmer and Georgia (Mishler) Heyerly in Albany, Oregon where she was raised during her childhood. Her dad worked on a farm and her mom was a housekeeper, they later moved in town and lived in a house on 2nd Street and sister Beverly came along, and later younger brother Rodney. Donna loved spending time at her grandparents farms growing up and the big family dinners where everyone helped to cook. The Heyerlys and the Mishlers, both had large families of 12 children each and lived in large farm houses a mile from each other on Grand Prairie Road, the Mishler home is still there. At the Heyerlys she picked apples and pears, made sausage, and smoked meats in the smokehouse. At the Mishlers she remembers the windmill that brought up the ice cold drinking water, picking grapes, canning garden produce, and making pickles.

Donna graduated in 1955, the first graduating class of West Albany High School, where she was President of the Girls Athletic Association with volleyball as her favorite sport and she enjoyed gymnastics too. Donna's favorite classes were home economics and sewing classes. She was in the high school band playing the cornet where she met David Clem a year older who played the trumpet. During her senior year she worked at the Stuart & Cleaver Insurance Agency in downtown Albany until she was married. Dave went into the U.S. Navy after high school graduation because he wanted to fly airplanes. He went off to Basic Training in San Diego, CA then Pensacola, Florida for flight training then onto Corpus Christi, Texas for jet training. While in Pensacola his marching group came out to Seattle for the football game and Donna rode up on the bus with her future mother-in-law, Zelma Clem, to watch the game. While there, Dave proposed to Donna in the elevator at the game and gave her an engagement ring. After Dave got his Naval Aviator wings and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U. S. Navy, they were married on March 9, 1957 at the Evangelical Church in Albany, Oregon.

While stationed in Del Mar, California Donna became pregnant and returned to her parents dairy farm at Knox Butte in Albany to live with family temporarily to have her daughter Debbie. Dave was deployed at the time at the equator on a Naval Ship when Debbie was born and had to be notified by the American Red Cross that he had a daughter. Son Douglas was born a year later in San Diego.

Other than an eighteen month time living in Tangent while Dave was on a college leave at OSU, the Clem family moved every two years to the different Naval Stations. Dave received orders to bases on the East and West Coast for his 22 year military career retiring as a Commander at Alameda Naval Air Station. Wherever they were stationed they tried to make it back to Oregon each year to visit family. Donna would always try to unpack at each new place quickly and make it feel like home as soon as possible. When Dave was deployed on his flight missions oversees for many months at a time in Vietnam three times, Thailand, Italy, England, Australia, India, Pakistan, Kuwait and more, Donna would make life as normal as possible back home along with the other Navy families who supported each other. Her love of gardening carried to every place creating one at each home. Donna also loved to quilt and sew, and had many craft hobbies. Sewing for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as well as making pretty outfits for herself. Dave retired from the Navy in July 1976 and the Clem family moved to Albany on their farm on Springhill Road.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband David Clem and grandson Michael Clem, niece Marcy Kroll, her parents Elmer and Georgia Heyerly and in-laws Eldon Clem and Zelma Carter Clem.

Donna is survived by daughter Debra and her husband David Goodwin, son Douglas Clem, and granddaughters Anna Robinson, and Briana Clem and her husband Scott Trout. Great grandchildren Connor and Xavier Robinson and Naomi and Nola Trout. Sister Beverly and her husband David King and brother Rodney Heyerly and his wife Judy and their families. Sister-in-laws Joann Clem Endicott, and Colleen Clem and her husband Terry McDermond and their families.

Donna will be deeply missed with her spunky character and caring nature to volunteer throughout her life to help others. Donna knew that friendships, like gardens, take work to maintain and she was willing to put in the effort, thus got to reap the rewards she had so many kind friends especially the "Young at Heart" group at Riverside Baptist Church here in Albany.

Great grandsons Connor and Xavier said "She was kind while she was alive." Anna says her sassy spirit and lively conversations makes visits to her home memorable. Anna always liked that she made each holiday special with her cooking and baking, and the coastal camping trips with her grandparents and cousin Briana. Briana says Grandma was fierce in personality and strong in love and support. I felt so valued by her. Scott Trout said his favorite things about Grandma was her storytelling, her feistiness, her love for my daughters, and the way she drove her care like a gangster. Great granddaughters; Naomi said "I'm going to miss Grandma giving me chocolate chip cookies and Cheetos, and Nola said "I loved riding in Grandma's walker and sitting in her lap".

Donna's lasting wish for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren is "That they will always follow their dreams and do what they want to do in their lives. Live life to the fullest and be happy while doing it".

Donna's family wish to thank the kind and caring staff at Albany General Hospital and Timberline Acute Care facility for her excellent care these past several months.

Donna's funeral service will be at 11:00 am, Thursday, February 12, 2026 at the Fisher Funeral Home, 306 Washington St. SW, Albany, Oregon, www.fisherfuneralhome.com with a Celebration of Life meal at Riverside Baptist Church, 1300 NW Springhill Dr. Albany, following the service.

Donna June Heyerly Clem will be interned at Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens, 34725 Riverside Drive SW in Albany next to her husband David W. Clem.

The family suggests that memorial gifts in Donna's honor be given to Chintimini Wildlife Center at http://www.donorbox.org/cwc2026 choose "in memory of" and Oregon Mennonite Relief Sale https://www.oregonmccsale.org/donate for Mennonite Central Committee www.mcc.org.