Donna Chavanu

Services for Donna Rae Chavanu, 80, Columbus, will be at 10 am Saturday, Nov. 26 , at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church. Burial will be at All Saints Cemetery. The vigil will be at 3 pm Friday at McKown Funeral Home with visitation from 4 - 6 pm . Visitation will resume from 9 - 10 am Saturday at the church. A luncheon at the Columbus V.F.W. will take place following the burial. She passed away Thursday Nov. 17 at her home.

Born Dec. 10, 1941 in Pilger, NE, she was the daughter of Thomas and Opal (Rossman) Harding. She attended school in Pilger until moving with her family to Petersburg, NE in 1952. She graduated from Petersburg Public School in 1959. She married Ervin Chavanu on Sept. 22, 1959. She and Ervin owned and operated a Steak House in Petersburg before moving to Columbus in 1961. She then worked at Middle State Mfg., State Farm Ins., Hinky Dinky, Brandeis, Pamida, and JC Penney before retiring in 2004. After several years of retirement she went back to work at Hy-Vee part time as a checker where she enjoyed seeing old friends and co-workers. She enjoyed meeting customers and connecting familiar names to Petersburg. Which we still joke about her making everything "Six degrees of Petersburg." She was a member of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church, the American Legion Auxillary, and the VFW.

Survivors include son Robert Chavanu (Aprill Verba) of Columbus, daughters Vicki (Bill) Robinson of Columbus, Patricia Chavanu of Council Bluffs, IA and daughter-in-law Kimberley Chavanu of St. Johns, Fl. Brother Larry (Evelyn) Harding of Lincoln. Grandchildren Anthony Tarnick, William, Matthew and Bryce Chavanu and Kimberly Robinson.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ervin and son William Chavanu.

Rest In Peace, Mom!