Donna Jo Zollinger

MALTA– Donna Jo Zollinger, 92, was called home Thursday, May 23, 2019, while residing at Maple Springs Independent Living Center in Brigham City, Utah.

Donna was born April 17, 1927, in Almo, Idaho, as the third child of Emma Ottella Eames and Joseph Ensign Tracy. She had an idyllic childhood as a tomboy with four brothers and, finally, a sister, 12 years younger. She attended grade school in a two-room schoolhouse in Almo. Donna attended high school in Malta, graduating as valedictorian. While a junior, she met a handsome young man at a dance in Malta named Orson James Zollinger, who was from a far-away place called Sublett. They had three dates before he went to serve in WWII and Donna went on to further her education at Weber State College in Utah and Albion Normal School. Donna had a beautiful singing voice and sang for many farewells as men went off to fight in WWII, and she also sang with a musical group in college called the Cardinettes.

On November 25, 1947, Orson and Donna married in the Logan Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Sublett where they farmed and raised registered Hereford cattle. Donna and Orson were the parents of six children: Joetta Hirschi (Larry) of Willard, Utah; Debra Donaldson (David) of Phoenix, Arizona; Tracy Nieves (Clifford) of West Jordan, Utah; Connie Streeter (Mark) of Sublett; Olin Zollinger (Linda) of Cypress, Texas; and John Zollinger (Tonya) of Springdale, Idaho. She has 21 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren. Of her siblings, she is survived by her brother, Larry Tracy of Orem, Utah.

Donna was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings including: Primary president, Relief Society president and counselor; teacher, pianist, chorister, temple ordinance worker and served a mission with Orson in Nashville, Tennessee.

She loved sweets, reading, needlework, walking, sports, and playing the piano. She hated bulls, dogs, cooking, rye, mud, and waiting!

Donna had excellent health all her life and enjoyed several years of traveling with Orson. They traveled to Mexico, Canada, Europe, the Holy Land, Egypt, Hawaii, and many places in the U.S. After Orson passed away, Donna went on one final cruise to Alaska with some of her family at the age of 89!

Special thanks to Maple Springs Independent Living, and Integrity Home Health & Hospice in Brigham City.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 1, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Malta Ward, located at 280 N. 1st St., in Malta. Burial will follow at the Valley Vu Cemetery in Malta.

Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and one hour prior to the funeral service on Saturday.