Service Starts at approximately 10:00 am on 2/19/2022.
Livestream will start approximately 15 minutes prior.
Livestream of the Funeral Service will appear below. If you do not see a video, please click here to view on Facebook.
Donna W. Carruthers, 89, passed away at home from diabetic related complications on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.
Donna W. Toomire was born April 28, 1932 in Martinsburg, Iowa to Leo O. Toomire and Lucille M. Barnhart. She was the oldest of 5 children: Robert (Kitty), Jim (Marla), Deanna Dodson (Larry) and Jerry. She graduated from Hedrick High School in 1949.
Donna worked in the office at John Morrell from 1949-1957. She also worked at Revco Drug from 1974-1990. While working as the “mail girl” at Morrell’s, she met and married Richard “Dick” Martsching. They had two sons, Gregg Martsching, born in June, 1957 and Jeff Martsching born in March, 1960. She loved children so she began caring for home-finding children after Gregg and Jeff were in school. Back in the 60’s home-finding children were babies that were being given up for adoption. Donna cared for a few children before her and Dick began caring for and decided to adopt Cindy (Martsching) McCutcheon in August, 1967. Donna was proud to have nine grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
Donna was always on the go, so after she retired from Revco in 1990. She volunteered for the Ottumwa Regional Health Center Auxiliary in the gift shop. She also enjoyed spending all of her Sunday mornings for 20 years in the nursery at Faith Baptist church. Every Thursday she would meet friends at Hy-Vee for coffee and on Saturday mornings she met square dance friends for breakfast at Country Kitchen. She lived in her home until she was nearly 86 years old. On April, 1, 2018 she moved in with her daughter’s family in Ogden, Iowa.
Donna loved touring lighthouses across the United States. She traveled to over 75 lighthouses and had replicas of them decorating her home in Ottumwa. She had several highlights that she was proud to have done over the years. She climbed to the top of Diamond Head in Honolulu; walked the Golden Gate Bridge; went to the top of the World Trade Center; made several trips to Lake Tahoe and even rode a camel in Egypt while on a Mediterranean Cruise with a friend, John Mielke.
To say square dancing was a hobby of hers was an understatement. Her and Dick square danced for the B-Squares Square Dance Club in Ottumwa for many years. After 20+ years together, they divorced. Donna went on to marry Paul Carruthers in 1978. Paul was the square dance caller for the B-Squares. She enjoyed traveling as the caller’s wife to various towns for dances every Saturday night because she could not only dance a tip or two but she could also visit with everyone. For a few years they even traveled down to Texas to spend the winter months dancing with various square dancers. She became Paul’s widow after he suffered a sudden massive coronary that took him to be with our LORD in 1999.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Lucille; her husband, Paul; and brother, Robert Toomire. Survivors include: her brother Jim and his wife, Marla of Huntington Beach, California; sister Deanna Dodson and husband Larry of Albia, Iowa; and Jerry of Des Moines, Iowa. Her sons, Gregg Martsching and Lily of Auburn, California; Jeff Martsching and Jackie of Caldwell,Texas; and her daughter, Cindy (Martsching) McCutcheon and Jeff of Ogden, Iowa. Donna has 9 grandchildren, Lee (Marla) Martsching, Brittany (Ryan) Beckendorf, Brandon McCutcheon, Lindsay (Jarred) Gamelin, Evan McCutcheon, Zac Martsching, Nathan McCutcheon, Aaron McCutcheon, Collin McCutcheon and 5 great grandchildren.
Visitation will be open at 11 a.m. Friday, February 18th at Reece Funeral Home with the family present to greet friends from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, February 19th at Faith Baptist Church with Pastor Phil Griffith officiating. Burial will be in Shaul Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Faith Baptist Church Nursery in Ottumwa, IA.
Faith Baptist Church 