Donna Belle Wigg, age 73, a native of Clarion, Iowa, passed away, Monday, June 11, 2007, at the Wright Medical Center Hospice Unit, Clarion, surrounded by the love and care of her family following a courageous battle with lung cancer.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, June 14, at the Clarion Church of Christ, 420 North Main St., Clarion. The Rev. Timothy Platt was the officiant. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Clarion. Those wishing to share an expression of sympathy with the family through a card or memorial may direct them to the Family of Donna B. Orte C/O Andrews Funeral Homes, P.O. Box 224, Belmond, Iowa, 50421. Donna Belle Wigg, the daughter of Hartwig Racine and Estella Marie (Smith) Hansen, was born March 21, 1934 at Clarion, Iowa.

She began her life long Christian faith journey through baptism at the Clarion Church of Christ. Donna and her siblings were raised in Clarion and she attended Clarion Schools graduating from Clarion High School in the class of 1952. Following her education Donna was employed with the Birdsall, Archerd, Nagel Law Firm in Clarion for three years. She then moved to Clinton, Iowa, where she lived while being employed for General Electric in Morrison, Ill. During her tenure there she met her eventual husband, Marvin Ray Orte. The couple was united in marriage on Feb. 11, 1956, at the Clarion Church of Christ. Their union was blessed with five wonderful children. Donna was employed for many years in the heath care industry as a bookkeeper of the Clarion Care Center and also for a time at the Fairfield Care Center, Fairfield, Iowa. Much of her career was in the administrative office roles. She also owned and operated a bakery in Fairfield for 11 years, a career torch that has been continued by the Orte's Bakery in Mason City, Iowa.

Donna's number one focus in life was providing for the needs of her children, surrounding each of them with her love and nurturing care, teaching them the value of caring for others and the ethic of hard work. She was a life long devoted member of the Clarion Church of Christ where she fulfilled a wide variety of roles. Donna was active in the Pioneer Club, youth programs leadership, church camp programs, Vacation Bible School, Adult Sunday School, and faithfully served whenever and wherever the need arose. She gave of her time to the Meals on Wheels programs and volunteered at the Wright Medical Center, Clarion. Donna enjoyed raising a beautiful flower and vegetable garden, a friendly but competitive game of 500, working crossword and word search puzzles.

Those left to cherish Donna's memory include her children, Marty and wife, Susan, Orte, Sheffield, Iowa, Connie and husband, Scott Erickson, Belmond, Steven and wife, Tamara, Orte, Clear Lake, David Orte, Tuscon, Az., and Linda Orte, Fairfield, Iowa, and Susan Erickson and fiancee', Brian Larsen, Belmond, most recently of Hampton, Iowa; her grandchildren, Matthew Orte, Ben Tedrow and Heidi, Chad Tedrow and wife, Lacey, Amy Tedrow, Shawn Orte, Courtney Orte, and Colton Orte, Julie Hall and husband Greg, and Kara and Kassie Erickson; seven great-grandchildren; her two sisters, Phyllis Arthur, Mason City, and Marjorie Trees, Belmond; sister-in-law, Imogene Wigg, Clarion; her special friend, Anton Prechtal, Fairbanks, Alaska, and many nieces and nephews.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents; her step-father, Hans Hansen; and a brother, Robert Wigg.