Donna Marie Dale

Donna Marie Reitan Dale went home to be in the spiritual realm on October 11, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. She was born on May 14th, 1929, to Vivian and Oscar Reitan in Ardenhurst township. Donna was the second of 10 children born to Vivian and Oscar. As a child she actually did walk miles to attend a one-room schoolhouse. The schools in rural northern Minnesota only offered basic education up to an early age, so in order to attend high school, she went to live with the King family in Grand Rapids. She worked for the Kings as a housekeeper to earn her room and board.

Upon graduation from high school, Donna attended the Institute of Arts in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota after completing her degree and worked in the art department at Dayton's. It was there that she met her future husband, David Dale. David had taken a temporary job as a Santa's helper and was totally smitten by her beauty. The couple married on October 4,1952, with David's father as the minister in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Their first residence was in Minneapolis at a rental home of Oscar and Vivian.

In 1957 Donna and David moved to Eden Prairie with their two daughters. In the following years, three more children were added to the family. They moved again in 1969 to the Stillwater area. Donna designed the new home, which was unique in its time. After a lifetime of being a stay at home mother, Donna became a businesswoman when David bought the Lake Elmo Feed Mill. He intended to run the business but was still working for a Minneapolis school district, so Donna started the new ownership of the mill. Shortly after purchasing the mill, David was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and passed away. Donna continued to run the mill and was highly successful. Over the course of years several family members were employed by her.

Although her early years were full of hardship, Donna always remained close to her family's ancestral land. She loved going to the cabin that her brothers and her husband David built on Island Lake. Donna loved nature. She always had a curious and inquisitive mind. She passed those qualities on to her children and grandchildren. Donna was small in stature, but large in life. She was a force. She was determined, She could also be incredibly generous and kind. Her creativity continued well into her later years. To say that Donna was a complex person is a bit of an understatement. All those who knew her were affected in some way.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband David Dale and her parents, Oscar and Vivian Reitan, infant brother Daniel, sisters Muriel Nelson and Caroline Pehrson, brothers Eldred, Hobart, Robert, and Raymond Reitan. She is survived by her brother Richard Reitan and sister Kathleen Reitan along with her children Lynne Dale, Beth Dale, Amy Dale, Tina Dale and William Dale; grandchildren Paul Liddell, David Liddell, Michael Liddell, Willow Fisher Dale, Celeste Fisher Dale, and Alex Dale as well as 5 great grandchildren and countless other relatives and friends.

Donna will be remembered as a woman of undeniable strength and tenacity. Her strength was transferred to others in remarkable ways. We will forever be grateful for her presence in our lives.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Donna on Thursday, November 5th, at the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard, Stillwater, MN.