Donna Mae (Johnston) Dutton, 90, Kasson
Donna Mae (Johnston) Dutton, age 90, died at peacefully at Circle Drive Manor on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 after a lengthy illness, with her daughter Betty, who spent the last 2.5 weeks by her side.
Donna was born August 21, 1933 near Hayfield to Vernon and Jeanette (McEathron) Johnston. She went to elementary school in Wasioja, graduated from Mantorville High School, and attended“Beauty School” in the Twin Cities. In June 1955, she married Lowell Edward Dutton at the First Presbyterian Church in Kasson. They lived in the Kasson area for nearly all of their married life and raised their daughters and grandson there.
Donna worked for many years in Majorie’s Beauty Shop in Kasson, for a brief time as a supplemental worker at IBM soldering circuit boards, and for a few years at Images on Metal helping make silk-screened signs. She was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Kasson, the Kasson Legion Auxiliary, and neighborhood homemakers club, and also served as a 4H leader.
Donna channeled most of her energy and talents into her roles of wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker. She made sure the family had delicious well-balanced meals and that supper was on the table by 5PM every night. Donna could expertly sew anything from draperies to dresses and was an avid gardener who had a very large vegetable patch and lovely flower beds. She had a flair for interior decorating and could meticulously paint walls, wall-paper, and stain woodwork. She could take very rough looking pieces of furniture and make them look brand new including refinishing, reupholstering, and even recaning them. Donna also shared her skills with friends and family by making things like custom decorations, corsages, mints, and cupcakes for many wedding, anniversary, baby shower, and graduation celebrations. She enjoyed entertaining family and friends in her home and preparing their favorite dishes or trying out a new dessert. Probably because she grew up in a large family, she loved having lots of young people around and often asked her daughters to bring home friends after evening school events so she could feed and joke around with them.
She is survived by 3 daughters, Charyl Dutton Gibbs (David Gibbs), Betty Dutton, Susie Dutton (Greg Weber); grandson, Dylan Dutton (Taylor Bass); and great-grandson, Case, who was the apple of her eye. She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; brothers Dwaine, Robert, Rhonald and Vernon (John); and sisters Marjorie Johnston, Marcella Olive, Phyllis Bradford, and Jean Weinknecht.
Donna did not want a funeral and donated her body to Mayo Clinic. A private burial will be held at the Preston State Veterans’ Cemetery at a later date. Memorials are suggested to be sent directly to Circle Drive Manor, West Concord, MN or Mayo Clinic Hospice, who provided Donna with extraordinarily compassionate and professional care during the last 9 months of her life.