Corvallis – Donna Lou Sutherland Copeland was born March 19, 1933 and passed peacefully in her sleep on October 25, 2021. She was 88. Donna was born at Marcus Daly in Hamilton, MT to Joe and Ruby Sutherland and raised northeast of Corvallis on the family farm with her two younger sisters Paula and Patsy.
Donna graduated from Corvallis High School in 1951. She graduated from Kinman Business University in Spokane, WA in 1952. She worked as a payroll clerk and in the printing department for Washington Water-Power.
Donna married Lee Copeland in August 1952 in Coeur ‘d Alene, ID. Lee was in the Air Force and Donna worked at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, TX as a payroll clerk before going to Landsburg, Germany with Lee in October 1954.
Roger Lee Copeland was born at Lackland AFB in San Antonio in 1955. After Lee was discharged from the Air Force, the family moved back to the Bitterroot. Rory Joe was born in 1956 and Russell Wayne in 1958 in Hamilton. The family later moved to Billings in 1968.
Donna and Lee divorced in 1972. Donna worked at Coles Department Store and then at Mountain States Telephone and US West. She worked in Billings for 18 years and then in Bozeman for another 5 years, retiring in 1995. Donna loved her family and the Bitterroot, moving back to Corvallis where she lived out her days. She enjoyed staying in touch and spending time with her extensive family and many friends, researching family history, attending church, sewing and quilting, ballroom dancing, and watching or attending sporting events.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents Ruby and Joe Sutherland, her sister Paula and Paula’s son Rocky Ailport, sister Patsy Smith, her sons Roger and Rory Copeland and great grandson Lane Steele.
Donna is survived by her son Russell Copeland, his children Corinne and Conner, granddaughter Tracy (Tony) Steele, their sons Takota and Thane, granddaughter Melissa (Randy) Clifton, their children Dustin Copeland and Kaylee Clifton, Rory’s widow Kim and her daughter Trisha Smith, Roger’s widow Allyson and her daughter Allyssa, niece Janet (Scott) Fredrickson and their children Ella, Natasha, Katrina, Sergey, and Anna, nephews Doug (Sarah) Smith and daughters Zena and Denali, Jay (Les) Smith, RJ (Kay), Paul (Delfina) and Shane (Jill) Ailport.
A celebration of her life and following reception will be held at Daly Leach Memorial Chapel from 2:00-5:30 PM on Saturday, November 20th. Memorial gifts can be made to Montana Special Olympics and Shriners Hospital in Spokane. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com