Anita L. Donaldson

Anita L. Donaldson, age 93, of Marion died Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at Wyndmoor of Marion Assisted Living.

Anita was born May 28, 1929 in Lakewood, Ohio, second daughter of Edward and Beautrix (Graves) Pape.  The family bought a farm in Grant County Indiana, where she started school.  Growing up here, Anita learned to love animals, the woods, everything growing (except spiders). 

Anita earned a Bachelor’s degree in botany at Miami University.  As a young wife and mother, she worked at RCA in Marion and in the I. U. microbiology lab in Indianapolis.  She was a Brownie Scout Troop leader in Van Buren. She was an active member of the Grant County Medical Auxiliary.

After her marriage ended, she earned a master’s degree at Ball State.   Mrs. Donaldson taught science at Marion Community Schools for many years and particularly enjoyed taking her students to Asherwood Nature Preserve.

She was a loyal member of Marion’s First Presbyterian Church, where she contributed to the vitality of the church in many ways—including transporting older parishioners to services, singing in the choir and serving on the session.  Later, Anita joined First Presbyterian in Jonesboro.  There, too, she was a choir member, provided transportation, organized coffee, and . . . helped provide the monthly “Three B’s”—a free Breakfast, Blood-pressure screening, and Bingo. 

She was an avid reader.  She enjoyed intense games of canasta and pinochle when her parents were alive.  She did the crosswords, was happy to work a jigsaw puzzle.  She loved sharing walks in the woods on the family farm while the spring beauties bloomed. She showed us where the wild orchid used to be, and told us the names of more wildflowers than we could remember.  As a Grandmother, she was ready to drop what she was doing to stay with a sick grandchild or run them to a game or practice.

She is survived by her daughters, Dr. Marilyn Jean (Jack) Taylor of Dubuque, Iowa; Megan J. (Doug) Schroeder of Michigan City, Indiana; Jennifer (Alvin) Limiac of Marion; and Amy (Dr. Hong) Tjoa of Jefferson City, Tennessee.  She is also survived by her sister, Ruth Ann Erskine of Lexington, Kentucky; 7 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; and two special friends, Janet Cripe and Emily Morin-Dyke.

Anita was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband of 20 years, Dr. Miles W. Donaldson, on September 2, 2021.

Visitation is from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Raven-Choate Funeral Home, 1202 W. Kem Road in Marion.  Funeral Services begin at 11:00 a.m., Pastor Laurie Wolcott officiating. 

Burial will immediately follow funeral services in Estates of Serenity Cemetery, in Marion.

Memorial contributions can go to the Grant County Humane Society, 505 S. Miller Avenue, Marion, Indiana 46953.  Or to benefit Asherwood, where Anita took her science classes, send donations to ACRES Land Trust, P.O. Box 665, Huntertown, Indiana 46748-0665 in Anita’s memory or online at https://acreslandtrust.org/donate.

Please share online condolences and memories at www.ravenchoate.com

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