Donna Jean was the first-born daughter of Gerald and Viola Myers; she was born at home on a farm northeast of Walsh, Colorado on February 4, 1939.

Times were tough on the family; most people did not have 2 coins in their pockets to rub together. Before Donna Jean was five years old, she had 2 little sisters (Neva Dean, 1940, and Patty Kay, 1943). Donna Jean was a good big sister and set a good example for the younger ones. She was a pretty little girl with long curls.

In 1945, Gerald and Viola were able to purchase the family farm east of Walsh, in the Walsh School District, and that is where Donna Jean grew up. She attended all 12 years of school at Walsh School District and was consistently on the Honor Roll academically. She played clarinet in the band, participated in Pep Club and jumped hurdles for spring track meets. She also played the piano, often accompanying classmates who sang for school programs. She graduated from Walsh High School in 1957. While growing up Donna Jean also participated in 4-H, where she learned to cook and sew. She was an accomplished seamstress and designed and made wedding dresses for her sons’ fiancés and one year even made the uniforms for the Denver Bronco Cheerleaders. She and Neva Dean did competitive cooking demonstrations, at the county and regional levels, where she learned to be comfortable speaking to groups of people.

In 1957 Donna Jean and Harold Lippoldt were united in marriage and together they had 5 sons: Nate Leroy, Chad Galen, Kurt Kevin, Doug Daren, and Jerl Elden. She was a devoted and loving mother to her children, singing childhood songs and playing countless hours with them. She was active in her church and taught Sunday school classes. After her divorce from Harold, she ironed clothes for people to make ends meet. She later got a job at Gamble's as the bookkeeper.

Donna Jean met Ed Kurtz and they were married in 1973 and together had a daughter, Michelle Jean, and a son, Quint Edwin. Although this marriage also ended in divorce Ed and Donna remained close friends.

In 1980 Donna Jean got a job at Harrison School District 2 as a bus monitor. She studied for her commercial driver’s license and moved up from bus monitor to driving a school bus. She would often have trips on the weekends for school sports to make extra money and in the summers would drive a bus for the Boys & Girls Club. She retired after 28 wonderful years with them. She received numerous safe driver awards throughout her career.

Donna Jean had 7 children, 13 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren that she loved dearly. She also had many good friends and neighbors whom she cherished.

She is preceded in death by her parent’s Gerald and Viola Myers and son Kurt Lippoldt.

Her death came on August 21, 2026