Donacina “Donna” Marie Gonzalez Gandara passed away in her home on March 5, 2025 at the age of 108 peacefully after a brief illness. She was born on September 7, 1916 to Refugio and Librada Gonzalez in Granjenal, Michoacan, Mexico.
Her parents moved to Roswell, New Mexico in 1916 during the Mexican Revolution that was fought 1910 to 1920. They returned to Mexico in 1922 to farm. The family again returned to the United States in 1927, settling in the Los Angeles area. In 1929 they came to Stevensville, Montana to work for Amalgamated Sugar Company in the sugar beet industry. The family stayed in the area, eventually purchasing property on Ambrose Creek Road.
Donna was 12 years old and did not speak English when she enrolled in Lone Rock School and was placed in first grade. She would say, “I got a late start.” Education was important to her and she would emphasize that with the family.
James J. Gandara noticed Donna at a Stevensville High School track event. They eventually met at Donna’s sister’s wedding. Three years later James asked if he could marry Donna but her father refused, telling James that she was too young at 19 to be married. They decided to elope and went to Wallace, Idaho, and were married on August 18, 1935. Their marriage lasted for 72 years together through the highs and lows of life.
Paul Lear of Corvallis hired them to farm with him during the Depression of the 1930’s and through World War II. Donna and James started their family with four daughters during their time there.
In 1951, they leased 80 acres of land from the Bitterroot Stock Farm surrounding the Daly Mansion. As their farming skills improved they increased their lease to 200 acres. They grew sugar beets, hay, grain and began a dairy herd. James often had some of the highest tonnage yields of sugar beets for the Bitterroot. They also increased their family with the birth of a son and a daughter while living in Hamilton. She became a naturalized citizen in 1955.
They purchased 120 acres north of Corvallis from Lester Wood in 1963. Sugar beets were their primary crop until American Crystal Sugar Company closed their Missoula operation. Next they focused on increasing their dairy herd to 80 animals and growing crops to support the herd until retirement in 1980.
Donna will be remembered for her remarkable age, deep Catholic faith, and loving attitude towards family and friends. She grew a bountiful garden and shared the fresh produce with visitors. Her skill at making delicious handmade tortillas, apple pies, raspberry jam, canned salsa and pepper mix will stay with us. Many nieces and nephews spent summers working and playing on the farm. Her personal passions were shopping for shoes, hiking, running and dancing at the weddings of her grandchildren. She mowed her lawn on her riding lawn mower every summer. As she aged she could not move as rapidly and easily, but she would sing to her heart’s content in Spanish.
Donna and James J. Gandara raised six children, Otilia Gail, Dolores Rosalie, Gloria Rebecca, Virginia Rose, James David and Rosanne Marie. Donna was preceded in death by her husband James, daughter and son-in-law Otilia Gail and Don Perry Scott, daughter and son-in-law Gloria Rebecca and Collin Hightower Sr., son-in-law Clinton Taylor, daughter-in-law Corinna Carmen Gandara, great granddaughter Braylynn Elizabeth Janes, her parents Refugio and Librada, and eight of her nine siblings, Carmen, Catalina Lopez, Peggy Munoz, Sophie Linares, Joe R., Raymond “Si”, Angelina Larson, and Dolores Ruta. She is survived by her brother Ray and his wife Benny, three of her five daughters Dolores, Virginia, Rosanne and their spouses Mike Baldwin and Dale Janes, her son James,14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
She lived a faith-filled life with humble humility and a positive attitude. It was a blessing that her daughter Dolores lovingly cared and shared the past 17 years living with our mother. God did not forget you, Mom!
Services are Saturday, March 22, 2025 at St. Francis Catholic Church, 411 S. 5th Street, Hamilton, Montana, rosary at 10:30 a.m., mass at 11 a.m., reception at noon. Burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Stevensville, Montana at 2:30 p.m.
Whitesitt Funeral Home, Stevensville is caring for the family. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.
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