Donna Paulina Siblerud

Memorial services for Donna Siblerud, age 80, of Hartland will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 24, at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Rev. John Holt will officiate.  Visitation will be held one hour before the service beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the church.  Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery at a later date.  

Donna Paulina Siblerud, of Hartland, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on January 20, 2014, at the Mayo Health System Hospital in Albert Lea.  
She was born on March 2, 1933, in Scarville, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Inga (Flattum) Dahl.  Donna was baptized in Iowa at Silver Lake Lutheran Church in Silver Lake Township.  In 1936, she moved with her family to Albert Lea, where she attended Albert Lea schools and was confirmed at First Lutheran Church.

As a young woman, Donna was a waitress at the Hotel Albert in Albert Lea.  On February 14, 1953, she was united in marriage to Ronald Siblerud and they were married for 60 years.  She was a homemaker and a devoted, loving mother to their two daughters, Cheryl and Rhonda, while also being a wonderful and supportive wife.  Her husband, Ronald Siblerud, lead construction crews for Bob & Ron Builders and constructed a significant volume of new homes in Albert Lea in the 1950's through the early 1980's.  Donna had an outstanding gift for interior decorating and this gift helped to sell homes.  Her home always looked as if it were ready for a prospective buyer to see - sparkling clean and tastefully decorated.

Donna always put her family first throughout her life and her love for family members was evident in her many acts of kindness.  She was a loving grandmother to her two grandchildren, Amber and Ashley, and her great grandchild, Faith.  Donna adored children and her nieces and nephews were also blessed by the loving attention she gave to them.  During the 1970's, she organized her sisters to care for both of their parents at home up until their passing.  Additionally, she helped her sister, JoAnn, remain in her home from 2001-2006 until her passing.  Her ability and willingness to help elderly family members remain in their homes was a gift her daughter, Cheryl, possessed as well.  Cheryl became Donna's primary caregiver after her stroke in 2006 and enabled her to live at home until the day of her passing.

She is survived by her husband Ronald and daughter Cheryl (both of Hartland), grandchildren Amber (and special friend Zachariah Crail) and Ashley (and special friend Shaun Lyngaas), great grandchild Faith Kay Crail, all of Albert Lea, and her sister Ilene Blowers of Austin.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Rhonda Kay Koziolek, and by her siblings: Phyllis, Kathleen, Orva, Noreen, and JoAnn.