Donna J. Stevenson

Donna Joy Stevenson (nee Deethardt), beloved wife of John Stevenson, died on June 12, 2025. Donna was born on September 18, 1957, in Austin, MN to D. Max Deethardt and Rosalie C. Deethardt (nee Carlson). In addition to her husband, John, she is survived by her mother, Rosalie Deethardt; her aunt, Jane Carlson; her sister-in-law, Jennifer Deethardt (nee Hinshaw); her niece in heart, Joy (Erik) Schneider; and grand nieces, Hailey Schneider and Lydia Schneider. Donna was preceded in death by her father, D. Max Deethardt; her brother, Dale Deethardt; and her uncle, Marvin Carlson. Donna’s family moved from Minnesota to Nebraska when she was an infant, and she grew up first in Fremont, then in Scotts Bluff-Gering. Donna earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois (which became part of Trinity International University). Afterwards, she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from National College of Education in Chicago (now part National Louis University). For most of her career, Donna worked as an administrative assistant in the pharmaceutical industry in the Chicago area. Her work brought her into contact with people from many places. Donna greatly enjoyed learning about the cultures from which they came and sampling the international foods coworkers brought to team potlucks. In one department, Donna was asked to build a departmental intranet website. Without prior training, Donna tackled her assignment with characteristic curiosity, effort, and success. Donna was creative and expressed her creativity in many ways (including, but not limited to acrylic painting, card-making, cooking, flower-arranging, jewelry-making, oil painting, pencil sketches, writing poetry, public speaking, pulled glass, sculpture, watercolor, and worship dance, among others). Donna’s identity was based on her relationship with Jesus Christ rather than human relationships or positions she held. She began following Christ as a little girl and was still following him in the last days of her life. One outworking of her faith was care for people. As a young woman, Donna served on the board of New Moms, a ministry to young mothers in Chicago. Later, she volunteered with Stepping Stones Network, working to bring women and children out of the destruction of sex-trafficking. For over thirty years, Donna was a member of Trinity Community Church in Libertyville, Illinois, and she dearly loved the church and its people. She served as a children’s Sunday school teacher, a nursery worker, a prayer team member, and a food deliverer. Much of her ministry, however, occurred outside any role as she simply attended to the people she was with, listening to them, drawing out their experiences, and praying for them. Eventually, the church leadership created a role for her, “Deacon of Presence.” Especially because of her tenacious faith despite her long battle with cancer, people tended to “put her on a pedestal,” she said, which she thought mistaken. Donna believed that anything good in her was due to Jesus Christ, who paid for her sins on the cross and gave her new life by his resurrection from the dead, and whom she is likely worshipping at this moment. Time for Condolences to the Family Friday, June 27, 2025 4:00-8:00 p.m. CDT Trinity Community Church 1190 W. Winchester Road Libertyville, IL 60048 Celebration of Life Saturday, June 28, 2025 2:00 p.m. CDT Trinity Community Church 1190 W. Winchester Road The celebration of life will also be livestreamed and recorded at https://www.youtube.com/live/qBsg5YOGnSA In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to one of the following: New Moms 5317 W. Chicago Ave 60651 Chicago, IL 60651 newmoms.org Stepping Stones Network P.O. Box 208 Grayslake, IL 60030 steppingstonesnetwork.org Trinity Community Church 1190 W Winchester Road Libertyville, IL 60048 trinitycc.church

Donna J. Stevenson

September 18, 1957 - June 12, 2025