Donna Ruth Odegaard

Donna R. Odegaard, 81, of Waukon, IA, died peacefully on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at her home in Waukon. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Martin – Grau funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements. Family and friends may send condolences to Kari Rosendahl at 609 Taylor St., Waukon, IA, 52172.

Donna Ruth Odegaard was born July 14, 1944, in Winona, MN, the daughter of James and Myrtle (Wood) Mullane. She grew up in Winona and graduated from Winona High School. Donna attended Rochester Community College in Rochester, MN, where she received her nursing degree. She was married to Richard Thomas Odegaard for 30 years. Donna enjoyed doing cross stitching, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Survivors include her children: Daar Humphrey of Oklahoma, Kari (Gary) Rosendahl of Waukon, and Terry (Kat) Odegaard of La Crosse, WI; seven grandchildren: Kath (George) Ward, Rebeca (Tim) Krogan, Cody Beardmore, Amber Humphrey, Zachary (Ashley) Odegaard, Nicholis (Morgan) Odegaard, and Casey Odegaard; seven great-grandchildren; her siblings: Tricia Majerus, Darlene Luehmann, and Jamie (Linda) Mullane; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Richard in 2021; and a granddaughter Lacey Humphrey.

A letter from her granddaughter Rebeca Krogan: Death is inevitable and often misunderstood as an ending, when it may be a new beginning. My grandmother's passing brings a deep sadness that words can hardly capture. I will miss her presence — the way she spoke about herself in third person, as if narrating her own story; her lifelong dedication to caring for others as a nurse; the way her makeup was always perfectly applied, and the familiar scent that followed her wherever she went. I'll never forget her spritz cookies every Christmas — simple, sweet, and full of love.

But as much as I grieve her loss, I also know there are things worse than death — the slow and painful battle with cancer, the endless medications, the exhaustion that dulls a once-bright spirit. I lost my grandmother, but in truth, death had been taking her piece by piece long before she left this world.

Now, I choose to believe she has found peace. That her pain has lifted, her body is free, and her soul rests in a place where suffering no longer reaches. I'll carry her memory — her laugh, her scent, her kindness — as proof that love continues even after goodbye.