Donna Jane (Ellis) Tompkins | Bonner County Daily Bee
Donna Jane (Ellis) Tompkins went home to be with the Lord on September 2, 2021. Donna died with her family at the age of 92.
Donna was born on April 14, 1929 in Blackfoot, Idaho, to Alfred and Suvella Ellis. Donna was the oldest of four siblings, Jim, Ted, and Andrea. She was the mother and sister of her siblings as her parents worked in the Vancouver, Washington shipyards to make a living during World War II. While in Vancouver, Washington, Alfred and Suvella met another young couple, Elmer and Virgie Hensley, with whom their much younger brother, Billy Charles, lived.
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After their marriage, Bill and Donna lived in Plains, Montana, where they gave birth to their eldest son, James Anthony, and their daughter, Billie Carolyn. In the 1950s, Bill and Donna followed the build to live in Dalles, Oregon, where daughter Wilie Ann was born. In 1958, Bill and Donna welcomed their third daughter, Teresa Kim, while they were living in Mosier, Oregon. That same year, the family moved back to Boundary County to raise their young family while Bill worked for a local logging company. The young couple built a home in Highland Flats and welcomed their fifth child, Todd Lee, into the family and then Mary Elizabeth, their youngest daughter, joined the fun 2 years later. They would eventually settle on Oak Street in Bonners Ferry.
As devout members of the LDS Church, Bill and Donna brought their children a loving childhood based on the value of hard work and family. Bill and Donna often welcomed “extras” into their home, offering security, love, and a hot meal. Slender but fearless Donna was a force of nature when it came to caring for her family and those around her. When anyone in the northern hemisphere needed help, Bill & Donna were always there. Donna devoted time to volunteer work in the LDS Church and in the ward.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Bill; Children, Tony and (Linda) Tompkins, Billie and (Dan) Stanton, Wilie and (Lynn) Kaney, Teresa and (Rick) Dodd, Todd and (Joi) Tompkins, Mary and (Jim) Griffin; and brother Ted Ellis; and sister Andrea Ellis. Donna Jane precedes her parents Alfred and Suvella Ellis and her brother James Ellis in death. Donna’s memory will always be remembered by each of her 17 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
The family plans to have a private service with a celebration of life at a later date. Instead of flowers or gifts, the family will ask that you do something good for someone around you. Bill and Donna have always recognized the value of kindness and generosity; Donna would want the people she knew and loved to carry on her legacy and help those around them.
