Obituary of Donna Lonsdale

February 5, 1940 – Calgary, Alberta

December 15, 2023 – Calgary, Alberta

Always an early riser, Donna Kay Scheuermann was born around 5 a.m. on February 5th, 1940, at Grace Hospital in Calgary, AB, the second child of George Scheuermann and Daisy Ward. Eventually she would have four brothers (Bob, Vic, Dale, and Jim) and a sister (Betty), all of whom she loved dearly. Her first home was at the site of an oil derrick in Turner Valley, AB, where life was tough but full of adventure for the children. After the War, the family moved to Calgary for a few years. Donna had many fond memories from there including attending Old McDougall School. Most of all, she loved visiting the numerous relatives who lived in Bridgeland, AB, and surrounding neighborhoods. Her father was an itinerant day-jobber and a musician who was usually absent, so life was lean; her mother worked hard all their life to sustain and provide a living for the growing family. Much responsibility for care of Donna’s so-far four siblings thus fell upon her as the oldest daughter, and the domestic skills and nurturing spirit she developed were phenomenal.

In 1947, the family moved to Red Deer, AB, where Donna lived for about 20 years, in the Mitchener Hill and North Red Deer neighbourhoods, and where her last sibling was born.  She enjoyed and excelled in school, but pursuing a higher education wasn’t an option because of her childcare and housekeeping responsibilities in assisting her mostly single-parent mother. Despite occasional bullying and being called “Scheuermann the German”, one of her proudest accomplishments was representing her class in the dignified and momentous Red Deer-area coronation celebration for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

She developed into a gorgeous teenager, and one day during a snowball fight she met her future husband, Ray Lonsdale, who was visiting from Quesnel, B.C. At the age of 17, she went on a railroad adventure to visit Ray in Quesnel, which she called “a backward place”. She worked as a telephone operator there, romance bloomed, and Ray and Donna were married back in Red Deer on September 21, 1957. They lived in Quesnel for a couple more years where they had their first child Deryle (Daniela), before returning to Red Deer for another seven years. Ray worked in sanitation and maintenance at the nearby provincial institution for the disabled and gained some renown as an accordion teacher and musician, even playing on a weekly musical program on CKRD TV. There they had two children, Randy (Linda) and Ronda (Brian). One of their homes, this one in the countryside, caught fire one night and the family narrowly escaped death; Donna had to run some distance to the nearest farmhouse to summon the fire department.

The family’s centennial project was to relocate to Edmonton, AB, in 1967, where Ray pursued opportunities to teach music and work in music stores for decades, building up a loyal customer base and renown as a keyboard musician. Three more boys were eventually added to the family: Dean, Dwayne (Sherie), and Darren. Besides her domestic duties, Donna served in her church’s children’s and women’s organizations and worked odd part-time retail jobs. She also enjoyed canning, knitting, cooking, baking, and drives around the city or countryside. She was curious about people and outgoing, easily making new friends and acquaintances everywhere.

Ray and Donna worked hard to instill in their children religious faith, hard work, a healthy lifestyle, musical talents, family togetherness, and a love for travel. Though most family trips included camping and visiting relatives, Donna enjoyed taking two all-expense-paid trips to Jamaica and Japan that Ray had won from his employers. She attended countless of her children’s concerts, plays, and sporting events. At home her culinary skills, hospitality, and generosity were on full display as she hosted legendary Sunday dinners for visiting relatives, friends, missionaries, and foster children. Though her grown-up children eventually scattered throughout the globe, she always provided a comfortable and loving home headquarters.

Donna was an avid and accomplished genealogist: she documented over a thousand of her relatives from both of her parents’ lineages, and had an encyclopedic knowledge of people, places, dates, and relationships. A highlight in her later years was a trip to England to visit her daughter’s family and see some of her ancestral parishes there. One of her greatest conquests was learning how to use a “darn computer” to write a highly compelling book of her personal and family history. For years she served as a volunteer at family history centers. For her, this wasn’t just an idle pursuit to satisfy curiosity; she had a deep and abiding religious faith that families can be forever and that she would renew old acquaintances after this life and make new ones in the next adventure she’s now engaged in.

In her later years, Donna stoically battled health challenges, including several joint replacements. After their nest emptied, she and Ray lived in apartments in Edmonton, Calgary, and Chestermere. In November 2021, she suffered a debilitating stroke that largely incapacitated her for the rest of her life. On December 15th, 2023, she passed away at the Boyack assisted living facility in Calgary. The family would like to thank the many medical professionals and volunteers who cared for Donna over the years.

Donna was predeceased by her parents, two brothers, Bob and Dale, a brother-in-law, Ron, a sister-in-law, Diane, a granddaughter, Jocelyn, several sisters-in-law from Ray’s family, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Besides her husband Ray, she leaves behind her beloved sister, Betty, and two brothers, Vic and Jim, a few cousins, including her dear Marg (Bob), her six children, and many friends. She especially cherished her sixteen grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren and showered them with love, attention, hugs, homemade goodies, sweaters she knitted, and amusing emails.

In accordance with Donna’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A public Memorial Service will be held at the chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 202 Crescent Road NW, Calgary, AB, T2M 4A3 on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.

The memorial servce will be broadcast live on Zoom at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/93422436104 (no password required).

In living memory of Donna Lonsdale, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Eastside, 5388 Memorial Drive NE, Calgary, AB T2A 3V9, Telephone: 403-248-8585.