Dona Gresch

Dona M. Gresch, 86, of East Moline, formerly of Cambridge, died Monday, May 14, 2012, at Hope Creek Care Centre, East Moline. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 18th, at the Cambridge Chapel of Stackhouse-Moore Funeral Services. Rev. Dale Kooi will officiate. Burial will be at Rosedale Cemetery, Cambridge. There will be no visitation. Memorials may be made to the Dona Gresch Memorial Fund.

Dona May Palmer was born March 4, 1926 in Ulah, Illinois, the daughter of Charles Edgar and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Thies Palmer. She was educated in Cambridge area schools and graduated from Cambridge High School in 1943. Soon after graduation, she met her “one and only” Edward Francis Gresch. They eloped on June 3, 1944 and were married in Rock Island. Her “Eddie” passed away on September 1, 1996. Dona worked as a secretary at Johnson-Heck Insurance Company in Cambridge and retired in 1983 after 25 years. She was a member of the Cambridge United Methodist Church and the Cambridge American Legion Auxiliary.

She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Dona was a generous, considerate friend who helped her many friends through good times and bad. She was part of a dying breed that was always quick to send a letter, a note, or a card with encouraging words.

Those surviving are a son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Joan Gresch, Phoenix, AZ, a daughter and son-in-law, Ilene and John Arth, East Moline, grandchildren, Tasha Arth, Dawn Wales, and Blake (Peggy) Arth, all of Moline, and a great grandson, Draiden Arth, Moline. Other survivors include nieces and nephews, and numerous cousins. Her parents, her husband, and a sister, Darlene Collondrez, preceded her in death.