Donna Gochanour

She was born in Noonan, North Dakota, on Jan. 29, 1936, to Agnes “Ethel” (Sathern) and Arthur “Art” Roness. She was the oldest of three children, joined by her brothers, Larry Roness in 1937, and Noel “Butch” Roness in 1938.

 

She grew up in Noonan, a small town close to the Canadian border, where she met Lowell Boyd Gochanour, whom she married on Nov. 29, 1952, when they were both a mere 16 years old.  

 

Shortly after they exchanged vows, Boyd joined the U.S. Air Force, and the couple’s adventure began. Their first son, Randall, was born in 1953. She always said, “Who else can say they got pregnant in California, found out about in Texas, and had the baby in Ohio?” Laurie came along in 1955, Kevin in 1956, and Amy, in 1960.  

 

While serving as a military wife, Donna traveled the U.S. multiple times as they moved from duty station to duty station, including a tour at Evreaux-Fauville Air Base, France. With Boyd gone on TDY (temporary duty station) much of the time, Donna learned to be self-sufficient and independent, honing her home repair skills that she would use throughout her life.

 

The Gochanours’ final assignment was at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Boyd then became a bush pilot, and together they built Montana Creek Airstrip, in Willow, Alaska, a community hub and access point for people flying in and out of remote areas. Donna handled the business side of things, doing airplane repair work when needed, too. She never shied away from hard work.

 

She and Boyd divorced in 1987. Not long after that, she moved to Newcastle to be nearer family. Shortly after moving to Wyoming, she moved in with her companion and sweetheart, Duffy Dow, above the canyon on Salt Creek where she continued to remodel, rework, and build things — she was always building, organizing or sprucing up something!

 

Donna was always artistic, and in Alaska pursued her painting career. She was a founding member of Gallery 20 and United Alaskan Artists. Her scenic paintings have been sold since the 1970s, gracing homes across the U.S. and beyond.

 

While raising four kids, Donna also worked diverse jobs throughout her life. She was a bar manager (and sometimes bouncer) in a roadhouse in Talkeetna, Alaska, worked an assembly line in Ohio, was a waitress in North Dakota, did census work in Wyoming, and kept books at multiple businesses, to name just a few. She was a multi-talented woman. She was an amazing storyteller, too, always regaling everyone with some comical anecdote about her life experiences across the years and miles. In her later years, she was encouraged to write for the News Letter Journal’s senior page. Along with interviews, each week she wrote columns, rich with stories of her life in North Dakota, her trip to Nome with the Iditarod Air Force (Iditarod sled dog race support team), building and outfitting a remote cabin in Alaska, bargaining with a rug salesman in France, and so many oft-hilarious slices of life. These columns, along with her years of faithful diary entries, letters, and cassette tapes sent to family, hold cherished tales of a life well-lived.

 

Donna volunteered her time and talent throughout her life: Boy Scouts Den Mother, president of the Montana Creek Dog Mushers Club, secretary for United Alaskan Artists and Willow Community Center, and volunteer for Meals on Wheels at the senior center, to name a few. She would help anyone in need, going above and beyond time and again for family and friends.

“Family is family,” she would say, and, “Help where you can.” Other mottos included, “Make a decision, and do it,” and, “If you need it, it will come.” She was known for sending “funny money” randomly to family members — unexpected dollars to spend as you wish, but it was forbidden to spend it on bills.

 

Donna was very patriotic, and proud of her 21 years of service to the U.S. Air Force as a military wife. She was an avid reader, and loved to dance.

“Mom was a jack-of-all-trades, and known for being a spitfire. What Mom said, goes, and no one ever questioned that,” said her family. “Her Norwegian stubbornness shone through to her last days, but she is finally at peace and free from this disease.”

 

From a young age, Donna was an avid reader and loved to dance. There was usually a book beside her favorite chair, and she could often be found on the dance floor during senior dances at the senior center.

 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Art and Ethel Roness; her brother, Butch Roness; her granddaughter, Julie Menerey; and her son-in-law, John Bumgarner.

 

Donna is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Sharon Roness of Newcastle; sons, Kevin Gochanour of Newcastle and Randall Gochanour of Wasilla, Alaska; daughter and son-in-law, Amy Menerey (Dan) Runestad of Custer, South Dakota; daughter, Laurie Bumgarner of Newcastle; grandsons, Jason Menerey of Wyoming, and Jeremy Menerey of Wasilla, Alaska; granddaughters, Wendy Haverfield and Tracy Bumgarner of Anchorage, Alaska, and Esther Gochanour of Washington; great-grandchildren, Aksel Scott, Makayla Scott, Aria Maynard, Kaylee Menerey, Sean Menerey, Kandus Lee, and Jashawa Lamb; great-great-granddaughter, Presley Oxholm; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

The family would like to thank the staff of Mondell Heights and Sharon’s Home Health for their patience and care.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Donna on Aug. 12 at 1 p.m. at the VFW Post 2516 in Newcastle to share stories of this feisty, loving, little lady. Cremation has taken place, and her ashes will be scattered at a later date.  

Arrangements are in care of Meridian Mortuary, 111 S. Railway Ave., Newcastle WY 82701. Condolences may be sent in care of Kevin Gochanour, 224 W. Winthrop, Newcastle WY 82701.  

 

In honor of her fondness of all living things, donations in Donna’s name can be made to any animal rescue group.

One of Donna’s favorite quotes hung on her wall for years, from The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams Bianco: “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”