Donna M. Clinnin

Beloved mother and grandmother, Donna M. Clinnin, 70, passed away at home Sunday, October 6th, 2013, surrounded by family. She was a woman of uncommon strength, who fought but lost her battle with cancer.

She was born February 8th, 1943, in Fillmore, Minnesota the daughter of John and Grace (Gatlin) Buss. She married her high school sweetheart, James A. Clinnin, July 22, 1961 in Soiux Falls, South Dakota. They moved to Belvidere in 1967.

She worked as a cook in the Belvidere School District until 1997, when she retired to care for her husband who passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease in early 1998. She was first diagnosed with cancer within a month of her husband's passing, and bravely endured several reoccurances of this horrible disease over the next 15 years.

She enjoyed the simple things in life, having no great desire to travel the world or look for happiness beyond what she could find in the company of her friends and family. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed her flowerbeds, and was always outside in her yard weeding and planting whenever the weather permitted. She was constantly trying to come up with new and complex ways to keep the squirrels out of her birdfeeders (They may be the only ones who don't mourn her passing).

She is survived by her Son: James A. Clinnin Jr., Grovetown, Ga. Daughters: Debra (Norman) Tapp, Rockford. Sandra (Bill) Roberts, Rockford. Sherry (Jeff) Naskrent, Belvidere. Grandchildren: Jamie Clinnin. Kirsten, Nicholas, and Alexander Tapp. Logan and Brandon Roberts. Amber and Cody Naskrent. Brothers: Harold Buss and Fay Buss, Minnesota. Sister: Alice Ralph, Washington. She was preceded in death by her parents (John and Grace Buss), husband (James), bothers (John, Ray, Roy, and Ed Buss), and sister (Erma Schmidt).

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal".

Private Funeral services will be held at Belvidere Funeral Home, Interment Belvidere Cemetery.