Our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother Donna Jean Webb Green, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 31, 2018 surrounded by many of her family members. Donna was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 20, 1929 to Wallace and Pearl Webb. She had an older brother, William Webb.
From Salt Lake City, the family moved to California. In sixth grade, Donna was voted Student Body President and began artistic endeavors, which she would enjoy throughout her lifetime. She enjoyed playing sports such as volleyball and softball and loved attending school dances.
She was in every school play for her entire four years of high school. She worked on the high school newspaper as an editor and the publicity manager. Upon graduation she was chosen to be in the National Honor Society.
An award given to graduates who excelled in the areas of citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership and scholarship. She was also voted the Glad Grad. Following her graduation from Hayward High, she attended BYU.
She was told that she had the highest math entrance score of any young women who had attended BYU. As soon as Donna arrived at school, she was asked to participate in drama productions. She met Harold Emerson Green on the first day of her Sophomore year.
Emerson was at BYU on a track scholarship. He proposed to Donna on March 21 in a place dear to his heart: the men’s gym. They were married on September 7, 1949.
They lived in Utah and Idaho before moving to California where Emerson continued his career as an educator. Donna and Emerson had five children: a son and four daughters. After her children were in school, Donna finished her college degree and received her Reading Specialist credential.
She was loved at every school that had the good fortune of having her on staff. The children especially adored her. She had unique talents that enabled her to assess her students and find ways to help them improve.
Her own children heard often from grateful parents about the miracles that occurred in their children’s lives because of Donna’s love and guidance. Donna also served diligently in her church callings; some of which include Relief Society presidencies, Stake Young Women’s presidency, Stake Inservice Leader, seminary teacher and temple worker in the Oakland Temple. In her spare moments, she could be found decorating the chapel for ward and stake events, writing poems, driving her ward sisters to appointments, feeding and caring for others, while still being a diligent wife and mother.
After their retirement from the teaching profession, Donna and Emerson moved from Fremont, California to Orem, Utah, where Donna continued loving and serving others. While living in Orem, they were called to serve a mission in the California San Jose Mission. Throughout her life, she had a great desire and worked diligently on her family history, compiling many volumes to share with her posterity.
She had a strong testimony and love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In all areas of her life, in her church callings and her associations with others, Donna always went the extra mile. She genuinely loved the people around her, which added to her success in all she did.
Because of her cheerful attitude, sincere love and concern for others and her willingness to serve them, she was dearly loved by those around her. Donna is survived by her five children: Randall Emerson (Gayle) Green, Judy (Douglas) Beck, Linda (Merrill) Dastrup, Cindy (Jim) Hess, and Nancy (Ed) Ryan, 25 grandchildren and 47 great grandchildren. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with them.
A viewing will be held at the Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street in Orem, Utah on Thursday, September 6, 2018 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Sunset Heights Chapel, 500 South 600 West in Orem. A viewing will be held prior to services from 9:30 -10:45 a.m. at the church. Interment will take place at the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East in Orem, Utah.
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