July 29, 1936 – March 19, 2018
Donna Willette Groat, 81, of Sweet Home died peacefully in her home on March 19, 2018 due to complications from cancer.
She was born July 29, 1936 and raised in the Sweet Home area with her two brothers and three sisters. She had a love for the outdoors and all of the activities that came with it.
She married her husband Ralph in 1954 in Oregon. Soon after marrying, they moved to Idaho for a short time before settling in Northern California to raise their five children.
In the late 1990s, they moved back to Oregon.
Mrs. Groat loved many things. She loved to cook, especially for others, and volunteered to make food for her church, Community Chapel. She also enjoyed cooking at the Senior Center.
She cherished her family deeply. Her favorite things to do always involved spending time with them. Whether it was going camping, fishing, reading books to her grandchildren, baking pies, or telling a story, she enjoyed it all.
Mrs. Groat is survived by her five children, Mike and Lucy Groat, Bill and Sue Groat, Ron and Judy Groat, Rhea and Bill Rude, and Keith Groat; 11 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and by many, many more beloved family and friends.
She was preceeded in death by her beloved husband Ralph Groat; in-laws Robert and Peggy Groat, parents William and Clarine Foust, brother Ted Foust, and sister Joyce Dreadfulwater.
She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at Community Chapel, 42250 Ames Creek Road.
Per Mrs. Groat’s wishes, in lieu of gifted memorial flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Wounded Warriors Project.