Donna I. Gatens Klint
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May 3, 2012
Our loving wife and mother Donna Irene Gatens Klint went to be with our Lord on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at her home in Deep River, as the result of cancer. She was 72 years old.
Donna was born November 21, 1939 in Nemah, the daughter of Lucy “Nettie” Slater and James Francis “Frank” Gatens. The doctor had to come by boat out to Twin Point on the Willapa Bay for her delivery. Donna was raised with four brothers and as a child loved rowing out on the Bay against the tide. She attended elementary school in Naselle and graduated from Naselle High School in 1957. On June 29, 1958 she married George Edward Klint, whom she had met while working at her father's grocery store in Grays River. They later bought a farm in Deep River where they raised two daughters, Janine Klint Davis and Diane Klint Brown.
Donna was a stay-at-home wife and mother until 1979 when she opened “Donna's Flowers” in Naselle. She continued with the business until 1989 selling flowers, Iitala Finnish crystal and other gifts. Later she worked at the state park in Chinook, was a care-giver for Berenice Appelo and worked at the Appelo Archives Center where she took much pride in writing books on local history. Donna enjoyed her family, history, decorating, quilting, gardening and baking bread. She attended the Naselle Assembly of God church for many years.
Donna is survived by her husband George who resides at the family home in Deep River; daughters Janine Davis and husband Loren of Castle Rock, and Diane Brown and her husband Richard of Deep River; grandchildren Bryant Oman of Cathlamet, Megan Oman of Castle Rock and Christian Brown of Deep River; siblings Jim Gatens of Chinook, Tom Gatens of Ukiah, Ore., and Patricia Davis of the Bay area in California. She was preceded in death by a brother Pat Gatens; a half-brother Bill Gatens and half-sisters Ilene Gatens Doty, Evalena Gatens Storm and Betty Gatens.
Donna's life was celebrated on Sunday, April 29 at the Pioneer Deep River Lutheran Church with Pastor Raymond Soukkala officiating and was laid to rest at the Peaceful Hill Cemetery in Naselle.
Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Appelo Archive Center in care of Penttila’s Chapel, PO Box 417, Long Beach, WA 98631. Her guestbook is available at http://www.penttilaschapel.com.
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