Donna Mae Schoephoerster

DONNA MAE (BEECH) SCHOEPHOERSTER Donna was called home to be with her dearly loved husband of over 60 years, Dennis Lee Schoephoerster on September 11, 2017. She passed peacefully at home while she slept. A Celebration of Life will be held at 7:00 pm on September 16, 2017 at The Islander Community Room, 1521 NE Parvin Road Kansas City MO. 64116. Donna was born June 18, 1935. She spent her first 2 years of life at the State School in Owatonna, Minnesota before being lovingly adopted by Al and Elsie Beech of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Her birth certificate said she was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota. She never tried to find her birth parents. Al and Elsie had 3 boys when adopting, Richard (Dick), Robert (Bob), and Rex. It was said that Al really wanted a girl and he always made her feel so loved. Donna had so many fond memories of growing up with the 3 boys, she loved them with all of her heart. Donna started working at the young age of 14 and went out on her own by moving to Minneapolis right after graduation in May of 1953. She worked extremely hard in the hospitality service arena until she retired. She ran many restaurants and was an amazing cook! While working as a server at Venice Café in Minneapolis, Dennis came in and they met. One month later they married after finding love at first sight. Donna and Dennis had 6 kids. Their names were immortalized by their Aunt Judy in a very catchy tune! They lived mostly in Minnesota until 1974 when the family moved to Kansas City for Dennis’s job. This is when their love of everything KC began. Dennis passed on December 29th 2011 after a long battle with COPD. Donna then began a life without her love. She wrote to him daily in little journals from the day he passed. She spent her time doing things that kept her busy like organizing the Bingo nights, holiday parties, creating the bulletin boards and hanging out talking with her girlfriends at The Islander. She also loved being with her family at gatherings which always included all of her children, their spouses and grand and great grand kids. In late 2015, while on a trip with her friend Kathy, Donna fell and injured herself. She was rushed to the emergency room in Vancouver, Canada. While there, they found the metastasized lung cancer. She was flown to the US where the doctors here found the Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. Donna was not ready to stop her fight, so she chose a very aggressive radiation treatment that was working but she got Chemo brain in early 2016 and the family chose to have Quality over Quantity. They gave Donna a few weeks at best. She bounced back with the care of hospice and her family, proving them wrong for the 2nd time. Donna was a huge fan of The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs and the Kansas Jayhawks (crossing over the state line). While on hospice, Donna was granted a Make-a Wish and she chose to see her beloved World Champion Royals. She spent the day with family at the “K”, made many memories and given items from the Royals players. They weren’t done making memories because Donna kept getting better and she was able to live alone at home, virtually pain free until late Summer 2017. The family decided not to have her in a home so they cared for her around the clock until she succumbed to the BEAST of Cancer late on the evening of September 10th. She was pronounced early on Sept 11th when the hospice arrived. Donna will be missed tremendously by her family and friends. She was such a loving, giving soul. She always had a bright smile and loved everything in life! Her favorite thing to do all time was dancing with Dennis. The kids know the two of them are in heaven cutting a rug and looking over them with subtle hints that they are there. Donna wrote a note to the kids in the end to let them know, they were the “loves of her life”. She will forever be theirs as well. Donna was preceded in death by her parents, Al and Elsie Beech, her brother and his wife, Dick and Eleanor Beech, her in-laws Earl and Nina, brother-in-law Bob Schoephoerster, sister-in-laws Judy Beech and Louis Beech (Bob).(Rex) son-in-law Lonnie (Kari), and her grandson Brett (Kurt and Sue). She leaves behind her children, Kirby Schoephoerster, Kathy Merola (Guy and Natalee) Kurt Schoephoerster (Sue, Ashly, Cong, Lily, Courtney and Johnny), Kari White (Cody, Brandy, Jaden and LeeAnna), Kent Schoephoerster (Stephanie, Kyler, Ethan and Chase), Kandy Schoephoerster-Watson (Hannah, Kaitlin, and Keegan), her brothers Bob Beech (Vicki) and Rex Beech, her Brother-in-law Norm Schoephoerster (Arlene), his sister-in law Marlene Schoephoerster and countless cousins, nieces and nephews and their children. Donna would not want us sad. She is with Dennis dancing in eternal bliss in her whole body! We will miss her forever and a day to the moon and back. May the hummingbirds and butterflies now grace us daily!

Donna Mae Schoephoerster

June 18, 1935 - September 11, 2017