Donna Kangiser

Donna Kangiser passed away peacefully in her own home on November 22, 2015.

Donna Lucille Kangiser was born on November 21, 1925 to Burt and Hazel Schneider in Bemidji, Minnesota. The family moved to Opheim, Montana for a period before arriving in Rose Lodge, Oregon in 1936. She attended Rose Lodge School along with her brother Laurence (Red) Schneider and sisters, Alyce and Agnes. They moved to Portland when the war began where her father found work in a shipyard. She attended Cleveland (Commerce) High School in S.E. Portland.

On May 25, 1947 she married Joseph Kangiser in Vancouver, Washington and settled in Rose Lodge where they worked their farm raising dairy cows and chickens selling the milk and eggs. In 1955, they adopted a son, Steve, and in 1958, their daughter Teresa.

In the early 1960’s, she decided to attend Phagans Beauty School in Salem and became a hairdresser. Her husband Joe, having grown up in a logging family, was a cutting contractor and raised beef cattle. She worked at Signature Beauty Salon in Lincoln City for a number of years before her and her friend & co-worker, Heraldine Gronan, purchased the business. She worked there until she retired in 1989.

She enjoyed bowling and saw much of the U.S.A. attending bowling tournaments. Traveling was a passion of hers and over time visited Europe, The Caribbean, Mexico, Canada and Hawaii. In the early 1990’s, Joe and she took a 2 month long trip with their trailer to the Baja Peninsula and back with the “Teepee Creepers”. She was an active member of the Oceanlake Emblem Club with B.P.O.E. 1886 in Lincoln City for years. Her husband, Joe, was a charter member with this lodge. She enjoyed working in the yard at her lake home maintaining the flowers, shrubs and landscaping until just a brief time ago.

She was preceded in death by her husband Joe, her brother, Laurence (Red) Schneider, and sisters Alyce and Agnes. She is survived by her daughter, Teresa, son, Steve, nephew, Dennis Labsch of Hazel Dell, WA, Granddaughters, Mary Smith of Vancouver, WA, Jessica Davenport of Corvallis, Amelia Kangiser of Portland, and Aleta Mundell of Corvallis. Also, five great grandchildren.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the local Samaritan Hospice that were wonderful when they were needed.

An announcement for a celebration of life/potluck will appear in the Newsguard at a later date.

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