Donna Lee Deems

Funeral services for Donna Deems of Garden City, Missouri formerly of Butler, Missouri will be 11 a.m. Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel (660-679-6555) in Butler, Missouri. Visitation will be 5 - 7 p.m. Friday, February 21, 2025 at the Schowengerdt Chapel. Burial in Fairview Cemetery, Butler. Contributions to Fairview Cemetery or Gunn City Christian Church. Online condolences www.schowengerdtchapel.com.
Donna Lee Deems, age 89 of Garden City, Missouri formerly of Butler, Missouri died on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at Medicalodge of Butler. She was born October 20, 1935 to Iris Earl and Eleanor Katherine Grove Thomas in Independence, Missouri.
Donna, one of two children, lived in Independence, Missouri until Earl moved the family to a farm in rural Butler, Missouri in 1943. While on the farm she started running a tractor for her dad at the age of 10. Earl had one of the first "2-man bailers" in Bates County and he would tell everyone that he had a "1½-man bailer" since he and Donna operated it. She attended a one-room country school in Bates County and was a graduate from Butler High School. Donna continued her education for one semester at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. On June 10, 1956 she married Clyde K. Deems and to this union, two sons were born. Donna was a farmers's wife and homemaker. She also worked for Miller Florist and Greenhouse as well as owned and operated Deem's Greenhouse on the family farm until her retirement in 2002 when she moved near Garden City, Missouri. After her retirement, she worked at Powell Gardens. Donna was a member of the American Dairy Goat Association and the Midwest Orchid Society. She was also a member of the Double Branch Christian Church where she was baptized in 1959, was active in the Ladies Aid and taught K-3 grade Sunday School for several years. After she moved to Garden City she transferred her membership to the Gunn City Christian Church. While attending Gunn City Christian Church she received her 55 year pin for church perfect attendance, and between the two churches she had 60 years of perfect attendance.
Donna was known as a nature lover and a devout christian. She was passionate for her entire life about growing orchids-she still has several and one recently bloomed in the kitchen window. Donna loved raising and milking registered pure bred Nubian Dairy Goats. Her doe's won many Grand Champions, Best in Show and for a time, every doe in her herd was a permanent Grand Champion. Donna kept a herd of dairy goats until the age of 85. Some of her other favorite pastimes were planting flowers, creating flower arrangements for Sunday church, watching butterflies and watching and listening to wild song birds. Donna enjoyed planting daffodils up and down the roadside for other people to see.
Donna is survived by two sons, Thomas K. Deems and wife Theresa of Butler, Missouri and Daniel S. Deems and wife Kelly of Blue Springs, Missouri; two grandsons, Justin Deems and wife Samantha of Hume, Missouri and Kenton Deems and wife Bethany of Butler, Missouri; and four great-grandchildren, Garrett, Korah, William and Denis. She was preceded in death by her parents; her former husband, Clyde Deems on March 31, 2010; a grandson, Nathaniel Deems; and a brother, James "Jimmy" Thomas.