Donna Marie Hogan Hatch

Our loving and devoted mother, Donna Marie Hogan Hatch, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the age of 93, one month shy of her 94th birthday. Donna was born June 30, 1931, in Chesterfield, Idaho, the third of four children born to Leroy and Ellen (Argyle) Hogan.

Mom grew up in southeastern Idaho, living in various homes around the Chesterfield area, as well as in Bancroft from time to time. Their family lived a short time in the Blackfoot/Pingree area, then moved to her grandfather’s farm in “Hatch” (the east side of the Chesterfield valley), where they settled long-term.

Mother’s family moved from Blackfoot to Bancroft in November of her first-grade year, and on her first day at North Gem Elementary School, after getting checked in, she ended up alone, shyly standing in the hall waiting for her class to come in from recess. As she stood there, Mike Hatch, a fellow first grader, saw her for the first time and always told her and his family how he fell in love with her at that moment.

Donna attended school in Bancroft and graduated from North Gem High School in 1949. She excelled in academics, was a class officer, a cheerleader, participated in drama productions, choir, and sang duets with a fellow classmate on traveling assemblies. A line from her history says: “I loved school and was always involved in activities. It was fun to be the girlfriend of the very popular Mike Hatch!” While she knew he liked her, she also liked to associate with students a year or two older than her and Dad, so the fellow who “fell in love with her in first grade” didn’t get a whole lot of her attention, but he didn’t give up. He wrote her lots of notes in grade school, tried to stand by her in class photos, traded desks with classmates so he could sit close to her, and in high school, made sure he took her to their class dance each year. They dated more consistently while both were attending college and Dad hoped and prayed she would be around when he returned from serving a church mission.

Donna attended Ricks College, now BYU Idaho, and was involved in Lambda Delta Sigma sorority. To her surprise, she was voted in as president her second year. After completing an associate’s degree in education and secretarial science, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where she worked for Mr. Nicholas Teerlink at Anderson Jewelry.

After Mike returned from his mission, he wasted no time and proposed to Donna on Christmas Day, just two days after getting off his mission and a few weeks before he had to report for active military duty. They were married a year and a half later, Aug. 5, 1953, as that was when Dad could arrange a military leave of absence. Their honeymoon was the drive to Olympia, Washington where Dad was stationed. Mother had no problem finding a secretarial job in Olympia. Then, when the Korean Conflict came to an end, their army days wrapped up and they returned to Chesterfield for a few months then back to Ricks College.

Mom and Dad were blessed with five children, four sons and a daughter. While it was a goal of both to raise a musical family, it was Mother who made sure each of us got signed up for lessons, that we practiced and made it to our lessons each week. Guitar, trumpet, piano, clarinet, drums, saxophone, viola, organ, bass guitar and more – there was a LOT of instrument practicing and playing in our home, and Mother loved every second of it! Her efforts and sacrifices blessed our family in amazing ways. From having jam sessions just for fun, to playing together as a dance band, music was the glue that bonded us as a family, forging strong connections and life-long support for our parents and each other.

An ever-devoted wife, Mom supported Dad in all his adventures, even though it meant moving their growing family many, many times before settling in Logan, Utah in 1971. Her positive attitude helped us children see each move as an exciting adventure, an opportunity to meet new people, and add to our circles of friends.

Mother was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and joyfully served in a variety of callings. Her first calling was leading the singing in Hatch Ward at the age of fourteen. Then she was dancing director with her future husband in college and enjoyed participating in the large area dance festivals. Through her years she taught every age in Primary, every age in Young Womens, and served in presidencies in those organizations as well as Relief Society (she loved being secretary). She was music director in multiple wards and a temple worker. One of her most enjoyable callings was when she and Dad worked together in music - Mom directed, while Dad played the organ.

Mother was an amazing homemaker. She maintained a tidy and clean home, taught us children how to pick up after ourselves and expected our help with household chores. She made sure her husband and children were always smartly dressed, and prepared delicious meals. Her homemade bread, fricassee, shepherd’s pie, taco casserole, and caramel corn are just a few of her much-loved recipes. She was in her element when planning for and hosting family gatherings, and their home was always an inviting place to be.

Mother’s hobbies included collecting music boxes, calligraphy, oil painting, crocheting baby shawls, shopping, organizing, scrapbooking and preserving family histories. One of her greatest achievements and legacies is the multiple sets of binders she scrapbooked, documenting not only her and Dad’s lives, but also our family years, and each of her children’s lives as well. These binders are full of photos and memorabilia she had organized and held onto for years. Her final two sets were completed in 2021, the year she turned 90, when all the lockdowns gave her uninterrupted time to focus on these projects. She couldn’t see very well, but she persevered until the last binder was completed! Each of us have treasured compilations of our lives organized and created by a service-oriented woman.

Mother started working for the Church Education System (CES) when their youngest child was in school. She held various secretarial positions and worked for a time in the library of the LDS institute on USU campus. She had the privilege of working with and for Dr. Kenneth Godfrey for about twelve years when he was the CES Northern Utah Area Director. She learned a lot from his extensive research and perspectives.

Our parents served in the South Africa Johannesburg mission from Aug 1997 to Jan 1999. Once they retired, Dad was anxious to go but mom wouldn’t consider it until Dad had his life history written, or at least in draft form. Thanks to her prodding, and her own dedication to the same task, both completed their histories, leaving their children and posterity treasured stories of their lives. One of those stories, added later, is their miracle of surviving a carjacking toward the end of their mission, during which they were shot at from very close range by teenage gang members who wanted to steal their car. Two bullets struck Dad, and one bullet lightly grazed Mother’s shin. Miraculously they were not killed as both could see flashes of gunfire aimed right at their heads and upper bodies. Heaven preserved them that night and our family enjoyed them for another three and a half decades. We are thankful for those years!

Donna is survived by her youngest sister, Shyrleen Ann Cederlof, children: Terry (Kathy), Lisa (Perry), Chris, Mike (Lori), and Casey (Katie), sixteen grandchildren and thirty-six, soon-to-be thirty-seven great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Mike, her older siblings, Delores and Ross and her parents.

A viewing will be held Sunday, June 15, 2025, from 6-8 PM at Nelson Funeral Home, 162 E 400 N, Logan, Utah. On Monday, June 16, services will be in Bancroft, Idaho with a viewing from 9-10 AM, and memorial service beginning at 10:30 AM. Interment will be in Chesterfield, Idaho. A Zoom link will be made available, as well as a recording that can be accessed a couple of days after the service.

Our family wants to extend our sincerest gratitude to all who provided care for Mother at Terrace Grove Assisted Living. Many referred to her as a classy lady who never asked for or required much but who was always kind, cheerful and well-dressed. We love you, Terrace Grove administration and staff! You’ve been part of our family since 2021 and your care for Mom (and Dad) has been exceptional.