Donna I Pommer

Donna I. Pommer, age 88, Willow Lake, widow of Ervin, died in the Good Samaritan Center at De Smet on Monday morning, July 22, 2019 surrounded by family members.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2019 from 4-6 PM with a Liturgical Wake Service beginning at 6PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark.  The Reverend Richard Baumberger will lead.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday July 29, 2019 at 10:30 AM in the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at De Smet with The Reverend Richard Baumberger celebrating.  The casketbearers will be her grandsons with the granddaughters the honorary casketbearers. Burial will follow in the St. James Cemetery at Willow Lake.  Following the burial, a dinner will be served in the St. James Parish Hall at Willow Lake.

She was born Donna Isabelle McGlone on January 30, 1931 on a farm south of Brookings in Moody County, the eldest daughter of Anthony "Tony" and Grace (Phillips) McGlone.  The family was extremely proud of their Irish heritage with her grandparents homesteading that acreage back in the 1870's, coming from Ireland.

She attended country school at the Durland and Fletcher Country schools and then graduated from Flandreau High School in 1949.  Following high school, she attended Mount Marty College in Yankton and USD in Vermillion where she earned her teaching certificate. Little did Donna know that when she came to her first teaching job in Willow Lake in 1951 that she would end up spending the next 68 plus years in the community.  She taught kindergarten at Willow Lake for 30 years and taught in the district for a total of 37 years.

She met her future husband, Ervin Pommer through his sister Eunice Meester. After dating, the couple married on August 15, 1953 at St. Simon and Jude Catholic Church at Flandreau. The couple lived at Willow Lake where they raised their 7 children.

Donna played the organ for many years at the St. James Catholic Church in Willow Lake, where she was a member for 60 years until its closing.  She was active in the Altar Society, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sunbeam Club.  Donna enjoyed making quilts and embroidery work.  She also was a correspondent for the Clark County Courier for many years .

One of Donna's most cherished trips was in 1977, when she traveled to Ireland with her mother. There, she was able to connect with many family members. Donna's Irish heritage was important to her, and she passed that down to her children and grandchildren who are all proud to be Irish.

Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Ervin, a daughter Patty Pulscher, brother Mark McGlone and an infant sister Marrietta.

Survivors include her children, Jeannette (Larry) Brannan of Raymond, Jerry (Jackie) Pommer of Canton, Don (Jayne) Pommer of Willow Lake, Mike (Lori) Pommer of Stillwater, MN, Jim (Deb) Pommer of De Smet, and Julie (Brad) Ramey of Yankton.  24 grandchildren, 20 Great-Grandchildren, a sister Shelia Wilson of Stanwood Washington a brother Jim (Pauline) McGlone and sister-in-law Jean McGlone both of Flandreau, a son-in-law, Danny (Joey) Pulscher of Sioux Falls and many nieces and nephews.

The Furness Funeral Home at Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com