Donna Marie Miller Weber, age 85, went to be with her lord and savior on Tuesday, August 31st, 2021. Our family can all attest to our Moms strength and strong will for all of what life had handed her. She was born in Butte Mt. and grew up in Elliston, graduating from Powell County High School. She married the love of her life, Ronald Weber on March 10th, 1956. Donna was a homemaker most of her life, but enjoyed many hobbies. Donna was a worldly collector of many items including a vast salt and pepper shaker collection, which can be seen at the Deer Lodge Museum. She loved reading as a way to learn, she especially enjoyed crocheting, and stamp collecting but one of the last hobbies she had spent time doing was bobbin lace. She once flew to New York to attend a bobbin lace convention, and remarked that for a portion of the flight, she chatted with and enjoyed the company of a little known musician, a young man named M. C. Hammer.
She loved family events more than anything and especially enjoyed the holidays. Many, many stories came from Christmas morning, Thanksgiving in Elliston and dressing up for Halloween as a witch or any number of costumes she usually put together herself. She made up her granddaughter Amber as Roger Rabbit for school one year. Mom also coached her daughter, Julie in sewing many costumes for Annie, Eva and Claire.
Donna always spoke highly of several families in her life, she had stories of her own children, but also spoke of the friends her own kids brought over to play. She spoke of all the neighborhood kids that we grew up with like they were her own, the kids of the 6th ward were a wild bunch. In the years of living in Elliston, Ron and Donna were thankful for the Carroll family for their 4 boys who endlessly helped with many chores.
Mom had some brief employment at the Helena State Nursery as a dibbler. The person who poked holes with their finger and dropped in seeds to grow the beautiful flowers they were known for as well as selling corn on a corn truck for Kinsey Gardens. Her favorite stories come from when she worked for the phone company (Ma Bell) as an operator at a switchboard. Like the shows on TV, she would talk to those on one end and connect them with their other party on the other end.
Dad and mom enjoyed traveling and fishing in their later years, the different boats they had for lake fishing made for great fun with the grandkids and camping at white earth and various other lakes. Dad said almost every time they fished, Mom would out catch dad no matter what they were using. As they slowed down some, going out and cooking over an open fire with their kids and grandkids gave them great pleasure. Mom and Dad enjoyed watching the grandkids play sports for Helena High and Capital High. Mom was always with dad at the bowling alley and she had many close friends from those times.
Donna is preceded in death by her husband Ron, and her parents John and Gladys Miller. She is survived by her sister Mary Ann Fee. Daughter Julie McKenna, grandchildren Annie Waples (Daniel Renfro); Eva Andrade (Juan); Claire Waples (Tahisha); Son John Weber with grandkids Tim Draper and Melissa Wilks (Brandon), Son Ron Weber (Kari) with grandkids Amber Andersen, and Adam Weber, as well as 5 great grandchildren.
Services will be held Saturday September 18th at 2 pm at Anderson, Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, there will be a graveside service at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison on Tuesday September 21, 2021 at 3 PM, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Elliston Church, PO Box 57, Elliston MT. 59728
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
2:00 pm
Saturday September 18, 2021
Anderson Stevenson and Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Graveside Service
3:00 pm
Tuesday September 21, 2021
Montana State Veterans Cemetery
1900 Heroes Rd
Fort Harrison, Montana 59636
Service Schedule
Memorial Service
2:00 pm
Saturday September 18, 2021
Anderson Stevenson and Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave
Helena, Montana 59602
Graveside Service
3:00 pm
Tuesday September 21, 2021
Montana State Veterans Cemetery
1900 Heroes Rd
Fort Harrison, Montana 59636
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Doris Romanisko says
I have many fond memories of Donna as we “worked” at Kinsey Gardens. First, in the greenhouse as we dibbled away the mornings, transplanting seedlings. Later on the planter putting tomatoes, peppers, cabbage plants and gladiola bulbs into the ground (she said, she didn’t have rhythm.) And then with harvests, including making apple cider, selling off the truck in front of the now gone Silver Spur. And, of course, the many laughs shared during lunches. I was a newcomer to Helena 39 years ago, and Donna indeed helped make this my forever home.
Charlene Dwyer says
Well I grew up right across the street from Donna and Ron and Julie and her Brothers. We moved there when I was five. Ron and Donna and my mom and dad were best of friends. Julie and I also. Julie would walk across the street to get me at my house then we walked back across the street to go over to school together. One memory I have was when Donna called and asked me to come over to her house to help her with something. She wanted me to help her hold my finger on the ribbon of a package she was wrapping so she could make a bow. Turns out the package I helped her “ wrap” was my own package a birthday present to me from her. She thought that was pretty funny I helped her wrap my own present!
Another time was when she dressed up as a witch at Halloween to pass out candy to kids. She was so scary she scared all the kids away. She made her own costume. She was really good at putting costumes together.