Donna Mae Gausman
Donna Gausman, age 93 of Morris, Minnesota, passed away Monday, May 18, 2026, on her 93rd birthday.
Services for Donna Gausman will be held Friday, June 5, 2026, at Federated Church in Morris, MN. Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m. with the service at 12:00 p.m. and lunch to follow at 1:00 p.m. Memorials may be sent to the Federated Church of Morris, MN.
Donna was born in Grove Lake Township near Westport and spent most of her childhood in Glenwood, MN, graduating from Glenwood High School. She met the love of her life, Tony Gausman, in high school at the Lakeside Ballroom. Donna also once ran into Frank Sinatra there. She was too humble to tell the story this way, though the family loved kidding her that even a 27-year-old Sinatra was no match for Tony, who had already won her heart. They were united in marriage on November 7, 1953, in Glenwood.
Donna earned her LPN degree from the Minneapolis Vocational School and worked at Swedish Hospital. Tony then enlisted in the Air Force, beginning with helicopter school in Texas. The family moved with him through his assignments. They lived in Port O’Connor while Tony was stationed on Matagorda Island, welcoming their son David in nearby Victoria, the nearest town with a hospital. Steve arrived during Tony’s posting in Savannah, GA. After Tony retired from the Air Force, they returned to Morris, MN, where Mark and Tom completed the family.
Donna worked at the Morris hospital as a nurse on the 3–11 shift. Sometimes the boys would stay up to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and wait for her to come home. Later she worked at the Morris library and for Head Start. She also sold Shaklee and Tupperware. Whatever the work, her coworkers would tell you that Donna brought light and care to every person she met.
Her true vocation, though, was raising her four boys. The washing machine never stopped, except for the one famous time she blew it up. A plate of fried chicken could be empty before it officially landed on the table. She kept track of everyone’s clothes by writing each boy’s name on the tag inside their underwear, and she was present at every school event. She was the Cub Master, and the Cub Scouts met at her house. When the boys had mumps, measles, chicken pox, ear infections, or anything else under the sun, Donna nursed them all through it.
She was an eager collaborator on any project Tony or the boys took on, including hand-making snowshoes, down jackets, lead soldiers, canoes, and more. The biggest project of all came when Tony decided to build an underground house. Later in life, Donna and Tony made a creative team. Tony would carve gnomes and Donna would paint them. They made little stubors (Swedish farmhouses), and Donna did the rosemaling. She also enjoyed macramé, needlepoint, ceramics, quilting, and knitting.
Donna loved the holidays, especially family dropping by, decorating, and making everything special. Faith was woven into everything Donna did, and she and Tony were very active in Federated Church, with wonderful memories of the Christmas programs there. She found deep purpose and community through AA and the Order of the Eastern Star. Morris was her home until the last 18 months of her life.
Even after she moved to memory care, the nurses there reported how much she added to the community with her care for other residents. That was Donna to the very end.
She is survived by her husband: Sidney (Tony) Gausman; sons: Steven (Kristi) Gausman, Mark (Barb) Gausman, and Thomas (Brenda) Gausman; daughter-in-law: Kate (David) Gausman; six grandchildren: Stacy (Eric) Goodhue, Brian (Kathryn) Gausman, Hannah (Ben Hudson) Madsen, Sydney (Cody) Dietrich, Stephen Gausman, and Addy Gausman; six great-grandchildren: Ethan Goodhue, Hailey Goodhue, Deacon Gausman, Calvin Gausman, Kendrick Dietrich, and Elle Dietrich; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents: Verna and Clair Barker; her brother: Donald Barker; her sisters: Vivian (Bing) Silovich Lee and June Barsness; and her beloved son: David Gausman.
Arrangements are with Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, MN.
