Donna Coan

Donna Lou Coan, age 87, of Platte Center, died Sunday, April 9, 2017, at the Columbus Community Hospital.

She was born in Platte Center, NE on July 13th, 1929. She was the daughter of Howard and Madeline (Burke) Smith and grew up in Platte Center, NE. After her high school education, Donna started her employment with Consumer Public Power (Loup Power District) in Columbus where she worked five years before marrying William J. Coan on November 17, 1954. She was a mother of six children. Her unconditional love for her children and grandchildren was her happiness in life. She was a devoted Christian women who would burn palm at the site of a thunderstorm to detour it away from the family farm. Since she was a farm wife, she helped nurture bucket calves, lambs, goats and kittens that she could have started her own petting zoo. Donna loved to garden and spend many days and evenings canning corn, green beans and other vegetables for the family. When the holidays would arrive, she would be covered with flour from baking bread, cinnamon rolls and decorating cookies. She loved spending hours playing Circle a Word (Word Search) and solitare.

Donna is survived by:
Sons: Pat (Cindy) Coan of Columbus, Kevin (Robin) Coan of Platte Center
Daughters: Kathleen (Tom) Shemek of Columbus; Connie Coan of Platte Center; and Kelly (Tom) Theilen of Columbus.
Grandchildren: Melissa Shemek, Dr. Angela Kade, Keith Coan, Canice Coan, Paige Theilen, Alyssa Theilen Makayla Coan, Megan Coan, and Jordan Theilen.
Great grandchildren: Olivia Kade and Henry Zimba
Step-grandchildren: Wes Boruch, Danielle Whiteside and Chelsey Kuta
Sister: Mary Jeanette Skeeters of Texas
And Pepe, her pet dog.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bill, son Michael.