January 26, 1928 - May 8, 2020
Grandmother Mary Vollmer with Donna Rowedder
Grandmother Mary Vollmer with Donna Rowedder
Donna McGrane, age 92, of Carroll died Friday, May 8, 2020,
at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Carroll.
If circumstances allow, a Funeral Mass will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, July 24,
2020, at St. John Paul II Parish - St. Lawrence Church in Carroll. Burial will
be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in
Carroll and online condolences may be left for Donna's family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Memorials may be left for the Donna McGrane family, c/o Sharp Funeral Home, 226 W. 8th St. Carroll, IA, 51401.
Donna was born on January 26, 1928, in Manning, Iowa, the daughter of Julius and Margaret (Vollmer) Rowedder. She grew up in Manning and graduated valedictorian from Manning Community School in 1946.
She was married to Cletus Thomas McGrane on July 31, 1947, at Sacred Heart Church in Manning, Iowa. The couple farmed the McGrane Family Farm west of Halbur until they retired in the early 1990s and moved to Carroll.
Donna enjoyed dancing, playing cards, and cherished any time spent with family. She loved to read and was a very devout Catholic. In her spare time she was always there to help her family who meant the world to her.
Donna is survived by her children: Steve (Donna) McGrane, Julie (Jim) Williams, Lori (Tom) Seidl and Cindy McGrane; her grandchildren: Kevin (Kathryn) McGrane, Kyle (Nikki) McGrane, Jay (Ashley) McGrane, Jon (Carley) McGrane, Jeffrey (Darl) Williams, Joel (Jamie) Williams, Joshua (Abby) Williams, Jason (Kady) Williams, Jill (Chad) Kluver, Shelli (Pete) Juergens, Todd (Lindsy) Seidl, Woody (Sean) Bollinger; 27 great-grandchildren; her brother-in-law, Wilbert Lussman; as well as other extended relatives and many friends.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Julius and Margaret Rowedder; parents-in-law, Jim and Margaret McGrane; her sister, Dorothy (Paul) Volquartsen; her brother, Jim (Mary) Rowedder; and her brother-in-law, James McGrane.
May 6, 1943 Ninth Grade Class Night Planned
The Ninth grade class night will be held under the supervision of Miss Ida Beck, class sponsor, in the Junior High Assembly, May 21 at 8 o'clock.
Class colors are blue and white; class motto, "There is No Defeat, Save in No Longer Trying."
Donna Mae Rowedder is the valedictorian of the class and Mildred Lechtenberg the salutatorian.
The ten highest in the class scholastically are chairmen of the committee on arrangements as follows: Music, Zona Gail Duff. Chair man, Ruby Lohmeier,
Norma Dau, Donna Belle Joens. John Keane, Pat Miller, Lucille Genzen.
Program: Mary Jacobs, chairman; Leota Carter, Duane Olbertz, Donna Jean Cramer, Jean Blum. Billy Addison, Sara Diamond. Delores Wagner.
Decorating: Donna Schacht, chairman; Shirley Coleman, Ruby Book, Marvin Bogatzke, Joanne Grundmeier, Vergene Ruhde, Margaret Hammer, Edward Meggers.
Stage: Loretta Lerssen, chairman; Kenneth Pfannkuch, Norman Arp, Alvin Kuhse, Franklin Mohr, Betty Olbertz ,Marie Sextro, Norma Jean Schrum.
Class Will: Mary Jane Dales, chairman; Donna Fae Mohr, Bob Hinners.
Class Prophecy: Marion Hoffman chairman; Ruth Musfeldt, Alvin Jansen.
History: Betty Mincey, chairman; Madlyn Cramer
1946 MHS graduates: Norman Arp, Marvin Bogatzke, Jean Blum, Ruth Brady, Leota Carter, Shirley Coleman, Madlyn Cramer, Mary Jane Dales, Norma Dau, Zona Gail Duff, Lucille Genzen, Margaret Hammer, Marian Hoffman, Mary Jacobsen, Donna Belle Joens, John Keane, Alvin Kuhse, Mildred Lechtenberg, Loretta Lerssen, Ruby Lohmeier, Edward Meggers, Betty Mincey (salutatorian), Donna Fae Mohr, Franklin Mohr, Delores Rix, Donna Rowedder (valedictorian), Donna Schacht, Norma Jean Schrum, Marie Sextro, Delores Wagner
1946 former students: Billy Addison, Jimmy Barnes, James Bingaman, Ruby Book, Eula Mae Bradshaw, Donna Jean Cramer, Sarah Diamond, Evelee Furgason, Merlin Gosch, Joanne Grundmeier, Delores Hargens, Robert Hinners, Alvin Jansen, Carl Lake, Alvin Lohmeier, Bobby Matchett, Lyle Mersman, Patrick Miller, Ruth Musfeldt, Leo Nielsen, Betty Lou Olbertz, Duane Olbertz, Donald Petersen, LaVonne Pittman, Mary Qually, Phyllis Soppe, Laura Mae Schieffer, Leslie Stahl, Mary Lou Weinhart, Marie Wells, Ray Wiley
I thought I had a very complete list of students in my database who attended Manning Schools - both the graduates and also those who attended Manning schools and did
not graduate here for various reasons, but I now have 4 students I cannot come up with first names. I checked my database from 1937 through 1940 and found no student
who I could match with the name in the 1935 yearbook.
Unfortunately, they only put the last names under the pictures, so I don't have first names.
They did have my dad's last name misspelled as "Kuhsel" but I doubt they completely misnamed these other students. All 4 students without first names have common last names
for this era.
Schumacher and Schwaller would be Templeton names but the other 2 would be more connected to the Manning area.
So now I have to add these last names to my "former" student database, without first names.
As far as I know there are no members of the class of 1938 living so I'll probably never find out who these mystery students are - UNLESS someone comes forward to tell me their relative was in the class of 1938.
Jim Rowedder
The only military picture I have of Jim.
Hopefully some family members will come forward with more
pictures and information.
Jim Rowedder
Jim & Dorothy Rowedder
Jim Rowedder
Jim Rowedder, Melvin Kusel, Bob Kuhl
Cindy McGrane - Kuemper High School
McGrane farm