Donna Mae Noble Ward, 91, of Oskaloosa, died Monday, October 25, 2021 at F.W. Huston Senior Living Center in Winchester.

She was born May  2, 1930 in the Fairview Township of rural Ozawkie, the daughter of Levi and Rachel Ruth Hurt Noble. Donna attended the country school of the Ross District #59, Oskaloosa junior High School and was a 1947 graduate of Oskaloosa High School. She attended Pittsburg State Teacher’s College in 1947 -1948 and taught two years at Sedan, KS, elementary school. She graduated in 1978 from Washburn University in Topeka and worked as a substitute teacher and taught 6th grade for two years at Oskaloosa elementary school.  Donna was elected to serve as Jefferson County Register of Deeds, serving for 12 years before retiring.

Her memberships and activities include the Oskaloosa First Presbyterian Church, A 50 year member of Order of Eastern Star Chapter #62, the Homemaker’s Club and extension units Circle Ten and Night Owls. She was a charter member of the Jefferson County Genealogical  and Historical Societies, a charter member of the Lucky Spur Saddle Club and a founding member of the Kansa Prairie Quilters’s Club.

She was married to her husband of 68 years, Carl Franklin Ward on December 31, 1948 in Oskaloosa, he preceded her in death on February 16, 2017.  She is survived by two sons, Bruce Ward, Mayetta, KS,  Jonathan (Angie) Ward, Oskaloosa, KS, two daughters, Colleen (Glenn) Dotter, Cotopaxie, CO, Joy (Roger) Hill, Dorrance, KS, one step-daughter, Judith (Ted) Plate, South Carolina, one sister, Shirley Sackechewsky, Great Bend, KS, six grandchildren, Jennifer Bostock, Jessica Willard, Jeremy Ward, Jamie Leonard, Regina Heggemeier and J.R. Hill, three step-grandchildren, Olivia Jones, Teague Jones and Eric Larsen, 12 great-grandchildren, Dakota Peterson, Will Binkley, Clay Binkley, Kyle Binkley, Zane Willard, Hunter Willard, Isabella Ward, Olivia Leonard, Cody Heggemeier, Justin Heggemeier, Shaunalynn Hayden and Laureen Hill.   

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Laureen “Laurie” Ward, one granddaughter, Windsor Langevin and a brother, Warren Noble.  

Funeral Services for Donna Mae Noble Ward will be 2:00 PM, Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at Barnett Family Funeral Home, Oskaloosa.  Burial will be at Pleasant View Cemetery, Oskaloosa. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Monday, November 1, 2021 at the Funeral Home.  Memorials suggested to the Jefferson County Historical Society in care of the Funeral Home, P.O. Box 602, Oskaloosa, KS,   66066.