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Donna Catharine Utter |
| February 10, 1942 ~
February 20, 2012 |
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March 4, 2012 |
 Donna
Catharine (Dix) Utter passed away into the arms
of her Lord and Savior on February 20, 2012 in
her home near Bonners Ferry, Idaho (as was her
wish) with her husband and a daughter by her
bedside.
Donna was born February 10, 1942, to William
“Bill” Alfred and Wineva Francis (McCalley) Dix
in Daviess County, Missouri, on the family farm.
She was the fifth of seven children raised on a
dairy farm, where she learned to cook for hay
hands, care for animals and love farm life.
In her school years, she participated in 4-H,
Future Homemakers of America, Future Farmers of
America and music. She and her sister were the
first to show Brown Swiss dairy cows at the
North Central Missouri Fair, for which she
received Grand Champion.
She was also crowned FFA Queen her junior year.
On July 11, 1959, Donna married Clifford Ray
Utter, whom she met in eighth grade while
standing in the lunch line at school. They were
married in Harrison, Arkansas.
Of the 52 years they were married, they spent 40
years working together for the Lord, planting
churches and sharing Jesus’ love for others.
Because of their mission work, they lived in
seven states and moved thirteen times.
Even as a young girl, Donna had a gift of
nurturing and caring for others and always knew
she wanted to be a Registered Nurse. After 15
years and five universities, she finally
completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in
1984, finishing second in her class at the
University Of Iowa School Of Nursing.
In her adult years, her activities reflected her
relationship with God and love for people.
She was a Bible school teacher, a camp nurse,
mentored young women, led ladies’ Bible classes,
and participated in a medical mission trip to
Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Her community service activities included
becoming a Master Gardener, being a Hospice care
provider for Boundary County Home Care, working
with special needs children, and cooking for
literally hundreds of people (from neighbors,
church outreach programs and youth groups,
wrestling team, and families that her husband, a
minister, would bring home who needed help).
She was well-known for serving food raised on
her farm and especially for her homemade rolls.
She was also a talented seamstress who made her
daughters’ wedding dresses and pajamas for her
grandchildren, loved going to auctions and
estate sales, and could compete with the best in
Scrabble.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her
older brother, David Dwight Dix, older sister
Ruth (Dix) Hornsby, and younger sister Mary
Margaret (Dix) Caruso, and two granddaughters:
Meredith Elise Stinson and Laura Marie Utter.
She is survived by Clifford, son David (Patty)
Utter of Lawton, Oklahoma, daughter Vicky
(David) Stinson of Spokane, Washington, son
Michael “Micky” (Joy) Utter of Mica, Washington,
daughter Stephany (Curtis) Mast of Monroe,
Washington, foster-daughter Bonnie Dickerson
(Jack) Breuer of Stewartsville, Missouri; 15
grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, 4 foster
children; and 3 siblings, oldest brother Charles
Van Dix of St. Joseph, Missouri, sister Melva
Jane Steen of Lee’s Summit, Missouri and
youngest brother John (Judy) Dix of
Collinsville, Oklahoma.
A quote from her high school year book best sums
up her life: “Her friends are many, her foes --
are there any?”
A Celebration of Donna’s life was held March 3,
at the Boundary County Church of Christ on US 2,
Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
The family suggests memorials be sent to: 1)
Bonner Community Hospice, PO Box 1448,
Sandpoint, ID 83864 with Donna Utter’s name in
the memo line, or 2) Children's Ministry Fund,
c/o Boundary County Church of Christ, PO Box
997, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.
Family and friends are invited to sign Donna’s
book at
www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of
Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.
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