Jul 23, 1939 – Apr 3, 2018
Donna Mae Firkin passed away Tuesday April 3, 2018 at Brighton Gardens in Omaha, NE. Donna was born on July 23, 1939 in Pilger, NE on the family farm to Edward and Matillda (Carsen) Coney, the sixth of eight children. She played the piano and French horn and sung duets with her sister. She graduated from Pilger High School in 1957. She attended Kearney State Teachers College.
She worked at Peter Kiewit Construction as a personal stenographer and typist for Peter Kiewit and other executives and engineers. She met her husband Norman Firkins where he worked at HDR in the same building. They married in 1963. Together they raised four children. Donna was artistic and loved painting, sewing, bowling, swimming, and gardening. An accomplished pianist, she shared with her children her love of music. Donna was active in church and taught vacation bible school and enjoyed singing in the church choir.
In her later years she worked for Wells Fargo in mortgage management. Her interested in fashion deepened. She had always enjoyed dressmaking and enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to pursue a degree in art history. She began designing clothing and was an avid fan of Omaha Fashion Week. She loved the movie theater. Donna was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and through the application process discovered six ancestors on the Mayflower as well as many royal European ancestors. She loved gardening and maintained a vigorous variety of heirloom tomatoes in the summer time. She enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow. She helped them study and attended their many school activities, music recitals, and sporting events.
Donna is survived by her husband, Norman; children Kristi (Douglas) Coughlin of Omaha, NE, Michael (Jennifer) Firkins of Novato, CA, Jason (Katya) Firkins of Las Vegas, NV and Jonathan Firkins of Omaha, NE; grand children Ava Coughlin, Michael Coughlin, Michela Firkins and Noah Firkins; sister Marilyn Ahrens and brother Larry Coney and sister-in-law Jearleen; and many other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Stanley Coney, Charles Coney, and Rolland Coney; sisters Nancy Funk and Carol James.
Visitation Friday 5-7 PM at church, Funeral Service Saturday (4/14/18) 10:00 AM at Holy Cross Lutheran Church 4117 Terrace Dr. Interment Evergreen Memorial Park. Memorials to Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
Roeder Mortuary, Inc. – 108th Street Chapel
2727 N 108th St – Omaha, NE
